Renowned actress and producer, Funke Akindele, has broken her silence in the aftermath of the tragic passing of Jumoke Aderounmu, a former cast member of the popular series “Jenifa’s Diary.”
Akindele took to her Instagram Live to address the allegations of abandonment during Aderounmu’s final moments, which surfaced when Aderounmu’s brother publicly criticized Akindele for mourning his sister’s death after allegedly ignoring her pleas for help during her illness.
Expressing her dismay over the accusations, Akindele refuted claims of neglect, stating that she had reached out to Aderounmu’s colleague, Jide Awobona, to inquire about her well-being. According to Akindele, Awobona informed her that Aderounmu wished to be contacted for job opportunities.
Addressing the accusations directly, Akindele emphasized that she was unaware of Aderounmu’s illness until after her passing.
She disclosed having sent a message to Aderounmu’s brother upon learning of the allegations but receiving no response. Akindele also shared her own personal struggles, including the loss of her mother, marital challenges, and political experiences, emphasizing her own trying moments.
“…I reached out to the guy (the deceased’s brother) I said ‘oh I’m so sorry you lost your sister. I feel your pain. Nobody told me that your sister was sick’. Pascaline did not tell me anything. I don’t turn deaf ears to people that are in need that are next to me. I see that they wrote that I don’t help, I do help but I don’t make noise about helping; I don’t like it, I give but I hate it. I don’t like shouting about giving . Giving should be done privately,” she explained.
“The ones you see me do online: I was on TikTok, I have this family that they make me happy. They cook. I love the grassroot people so I watch their content a lot. You can see that in my movies . I reached out to them ‘oh I want to sponsor your education’ I give randomly (to) skit makers. I see people doing stuff and I support them . What more do you want me to do?
“I work hard. People will say ‘she doesn’t support her colleagues , she doesn’t attend events,” she recounted in tears.
She elaborated that her estate is situated far from the venues, emphasizing that by the time she drives to these locations, the events would have already ended, which is why she seldom attends them.
Reflecting on her own hardships, she shared her struggles, from the loss of her mother during the COVID-19 pandemic, to the challenges in her marriage. Expressing her regret, she mentioned reaching out to Jumoke’s brother, though without receiving a response, and emphasized her sincere attempts to offer support.
“I don’t beef any filmmaker, I do my thing … do not forget I’ve got my trying moments too. During covid my mom passed on . Politics, I was backlashed. Marriage, remember. Somebody now said ‘you’ll lose your children’ . I think that’s too much… I sent a message to Jumoke’s brother. He saw it he didn’t reply…I feel so sorry. I tried (to reach out to her). Jide can testify
Funke Akindele urged for compassion and understanding, cautioning against hasty judgments based on incomplete information
