"People may destroy your image, stain your personality, but they can't take away your good deeds because no matter how ..."
Filmmaker and actress Eniola Ajao has addressed allegations of an extramarital affair with her colleague and boss, Odunlade Adekola.
Rumours linking the "Beast of Two Worlds" producer to Adekola have circulated for years, but Ajao dismissed them in a 2024 interview with Tribune newspaper, stressing that their relationship was strictly professional.
She described Adekola as nothing more than a boss and mentor.
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However, speculation resurfaced last week after a video of Ajao at Adekola's father's burial, which was held in Otun Ekiti, in Ekiti State, went viral.
In the video, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the actress was seen exchanging pleasantries with Adekola's wife, Ruth, before returning to her seat, where she appeared engrossed in the burial programme.
Her facial expression in the footage sparked intense criticism online, with some social media users accusing her of hypocrisy.
Others even went as far as questioning whether she found Ruth unpleasant, interpreting her expression as discomfort.
Some netizens alleged that her reaction implied she was romantically involved with the 48-year-old.
Dismissal
Reacting to the controversy, Ajao, in a series of posts on her Instagram story on Monday, dismissed the renewed speculation of an extramarital affair with Adekola.
She wrote: "Life hits differently when you stop trying to prove you didn't say that, you didn't do that, you're not like that. You can't fix every lie and every rumour, nor can you defend yourself every time something is said about you; just be great.
"People may destroy your image, stain your personality, but they can't take away your good deeds because no matter how they describe you, you will still be admired by those who really know you better."
Rumours don't matter
Furthermore, Ajao also shared a message from a fan who urged her to remain close to Adekola despite the circulating rumours.
The fan argued that many Africans struggle to believe a man and a woman can sustain a genuine friendship or even live together without romantic involvement.
The fan insisted it was far too late for Ajao to distance herself from Adekola simply because of public speculation.
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During her interview with the Tribune, she stated that God used Adekola to bring her into the limelight in 2010/2011, after she had spent years in the industry since 2003 without recognition.
The actress, who starred in the 2018 film "Yeye Alara," explained that she values reciprocating the kindness shown to her.
"I have always made myself available for Odunlade Adekola Films Production even before I became who I am. So whenever he has something to do, I just pick up my bag and I go. I don't care what anybody wants to say. He has always been in support of my career, and I have always been in support of whatever he is doing. Even with his family, I will be there. Those things are not online, and the fact that they don't come on social media doesn't mean they are not happening.
"People will always speculate, but it doesn't mean it is true. I am not the only one under Odunlade Adekola, but I am a family person; if you give me one naira, I will make sure I repay you with N10, that is my spirit. So when Odunlade is doing stuff, I am always there. So, to people, it looks like these people are dating. There was never a time he asked me out", the accounting graduate of the University of Lagos told Tribune.
