Habibat Jinadu tok say she bleach her skin to get Nollywood roles
- Actress Habibat Jinadu tell BBC Yoruba say she lighten her skin because dark-skinned, slim actresses dey struggle to get roles.
- She tok say roles come after di change, but people no longer recognise her and she suffer skin injuries on set.
- Jinadu stop bleaching during one 2023 pregnancy and she tok say people later insult her over her complexion.
Nollywood actress Habibat Jinadu don tok say she bleach her skin because she believe say film directors no go cast her as dark-skinned, slim woman, according to one interview she give BBC Yoruba.
For di interview wey several Nigerian outlets report on Thursday, Jinadu tok say di pressure to fit one preferred look for di industry shape her decision.
"I bleach my skin because if you be dark-skinned, den you no go get role. Also, if you no chubby but slim, you no go get role," she tok.
She recall say one director go tok say she too dark when dem turn di lights on her for set, and say one remark about her appearance hit her pass. "I no pay much attention to am until someone tok say I look like monkey," she tok.
Roles come, but injuries follow
Jinadu tok say di change for her complexion really bring acting work, but e come with cost. People wey see her for public no fit place her face, she tok, and dem often just tell her say she look familiar.
"I no happy with am, but I keep on pushing," she tok.
She also tok say her skin become fragile, and she start to suffer tears and injuries from small bruises while she dey work for movie sets.
Jinadu tok say she stop bleaching when she get pregnant for 2023, since dem no dey consider di practice safe during pregnancy. Dat decision bring different kind of attention: she tok say people insult her and call her names once her natural complexion come back.
Her account touch one familiar debate for Nollywood and beyond about colourism, di preference for lighter skin wey many Nigerians tok say dey shape casting, advertising and everyday comments. Skin-lightening creams still dey sell well well for Nigeria, and dermatologists don warn for long say some products fit thin di skin, cause scarring and leave users more open to injury and infection.
Jinadu no tok for di interview whether she don get medical treatment for di injuries she describe, and she no name any director.
She never tok whether she plan to speak more on di matter.
