Actress Etinosa Idemudia popularly known as Etinosa, has expressed her devastation after her movie, “Secret Keeper”, was removed from YouTube due to copyright claims.
In an Instagram post, the actress revealed she poured her heart and soul into the project, investing years of dreaming, months of work, and countless sleepless nights.
Etinosa questioned the motives of the complainant, wondering why they would take down her movie, which she believes they had no right to claim.
She wrote, “I just got the most painful notification ever. My film — Secret Keeper that I poured my ideas, my money, time, and sweat, and every piece of my heart into — was unfairly taken down by someone who has no right to claim it. “Diamond Films”, I don’t know who you are, and I’m dying to know why you will do such a wicked thing to me. I’m so hurt because this project isn’t just a video to me, it’s years of dreaming, months of work, sleepless nights, and everything I had to give. To see it removed so cruelly. It feels like. I’m fighting tears.
“I want you all to know this isn’t the end. I’m fighting to get our movie back.
Your support is the only thing keeping me going right now. I appreciate everyone who brought this to my notice, those who had watched and shared and those standing by me through this tough time. Thank you for believing in my work and for reminding me why I make these movies in the first place. No matter how hard this gets, I won’t stop. This film will come back, so help me God.”
Actress Etinosa Idemudia has spoken out against men who use coercion or oppression to keep their partners in a relationship.
In an Instagram post, she questioned the logic behind forcing someone to stay in a relationship, asking how anyone could expect peace and normalcy to follow.
Etinosa emphasised that marriage and relationships should be built on mutual respect, trust, and consent, rather than force or coercion.
She stressed that “no” should be respected and that relationships should not be based on oppression.
She wrote: “Some men are very foolish! After using oppression to forcefully bring your wife back to the house, will you be comfortable sleeping in that house and eating that same woman’s food? Marriage should not be by force. No means No, and that should apply to other things being gRape!”.
Actress Etinosa Idemudia has urged women in the entertainment industry to uphold modesty in their dressing and behavior, emphasising that doing so will help earn them respect in the field.
Speaking during a recent episode of the Bold Enough To Say It podcast on YouTube, Etinosa spoke extensively on how female actors are often perceived and advised younger women to carry themselves in ways that protect their professional image.
“I know that Nigerians they don’t like advice, they don’t like it when someone is telling them what to do so I first jeg everybody, if Una wan insult me, I will insult you back but these things have to be said, the young ladies of this generation coming up, I feel like we should dress and act in all modesty, so that they can respect our profession.
“Because being a woman in this industry is hard enough. You hear a lot of nasty things they say, a lot of terrible assumptions about women in entertainment and then you don’t want to be an enabler, you don’t want to be someone that makes that rumor true.
“When you here someone say ‘see them, see them, na so so olosho them dey do, dy go dey use music and acting to dey cover up. Every kind of creative, every one of us we go through a lot to put this entertainment out, to put the art out.
“Before we started this show I heard the crew members talking about how we went for a shoot and they were coming home by 4am, 5am and im like ‘ah that’s the story of our lives from morning till midnight, we are working,” she said.
Actress Etinosa Idemudia has argued acting surpasses engineering in its challenges, drawing from her dual experience in both fields.
Speaking on the Bold Enough To Say It podcast, Idemudia described acting as an intensely demanding profession that requires significant dedication and endurance, often misunderstood by those outside the film industry.
Idemudia, who transitioned from engineering to acting, contrasted the structured hours of her former career with the unpredictable schedules and emotional investment required in acting.
She emphasised the grueling nature of the profession, calling it “a crazy kind of work” that demands resilience.
Urging her fellow actors to take pride in their craft, she encouraged them to stand firm against external judgments that downplay the seriousness of their work.
She said: “I have been an engineer and I have been an actor, no offence to my colleagues in the engineering world but I dare say that being an actor is much more tasking. It’s a crazy kind of work. It’s a mad person’s work. Don’t let those people that close by 5pm to come and insult us”.
She cautioned, via her Instagram story, that if a man is physically aggressive or violent during the dating phase, the abuse will likely escalate after marriage.
Etinosa emphasised the message is specifically for women who refuse to tolerate violence in their relationships.
She urged them to recognise red flags early on and prioritise their safety and well-being.
She wrote: “I don’t know who needs to hear this but if he’s putting hands on you while dating, shoving you, hitting your hand, pushing your head as ordinary boyfriend… Be rest assured it will graduate to full blown beatings when you get married. Even before the marriage sef. He will beat you. So this message is for the women that mind”.
Her warning comes from a place of personal experience, having spoken out about domestic abuse in the past.
The recent altercation between social media personalities Peller and Jarvis also sparked concerns about relationships and abuse.
A video of the couple’s heated argument after Seyi Vibez’s concert in Lagos shows Peller physically pulling Jarvis into a vehicle, prompting her to respond with angry words.
The tension persisted inside the car with Peller pushing Jarvis and claiming she wasn’t listening to him.
Actress Etinosa Idemudia has celebrated the success of a recent liposuction surgery, sharing a video on Instagram that showcases her transformation journey.
The video documents her experiences from hospital admission to recovery, highlighting her preparation, the surgery itself, and her post-operative progress.
Etinosa underwent the procedure as part of effort to manage polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and boost her confidence.
She expressed gratitude to the medical facility where she received professional care and support.
Sharing the process of the surgery, the actress wrote: “Another win against PCOS. Celebrating my successful mummy makeover #officialheritagemedandspa”.
Fans and fellow celebrities congratulated Etinosa on her successful surgery, praising her courage and new look.
Actress Etinosa Idemudia has faced backlash on social media after she condemned a young lady, Athena, for wearing a revealing outfit.
Etinosa had reposted a photo of Athena with singer Ayra Starr, expressing disapproval of the outfit.
“I stopped doing commentary videos because I don’t like insults, but some things are too much. This sweetheart’s outfit is a NO….. How can a girl wear this kain thing? See the two slippers on her chest. You no kukuma wear top make you dey waka for street naked. Respectfully, pls. Love and light,” Etinosa said.
However, many social media users were quick to point out Etinosa’s hypocrisy, citing her past controversies.
Users accused her of being inconsistent in her views and lacking the moral authority to comment on the young lady’s fashion choices.
One Instagram user, ufuozky_50, said: “Well for me u don’t have right over her dressing when she’s grown like u said ur a grown woman den she will clam down but till den let her enjoy her body bfr mother hood change her ok das is lif for me let her b shalom”
Another user, nkemjika_adamazi1 argued: “Aunty @etinosaofficial you are not the one to be giving such advice Nne . It’s not your business and you did worst..
Aaron Leona Adaeze wrote: “Some people no dey like to learn from other people’s experience until they experience their own before them to hear word. Anyways life is a stage”.
On her X handle, she wrote: “Payment received in full. Dear @PereEgbi if you know you can’t do a job you were paid for, respectfully refund without stress. It helps your integrity. P.S. I am not your mate in this industry. Cheers.
“We allow bad behaviour too much in this industry. If you can’t keep to your agreement with a producer, don’t take his or her money. Nobody plucks money from trees. Keep your bad stinking work ethics at home when you come on set. Etinosa Idemudia 2024. God bless us all.”
Actress Etinosa Idemudia has defended reality star Phyna amid backlash from netizens after she mistakenly called out a soft drink brand.
The Nation reported that amid a dispute with some of the organisers of the popular BBNaija show for refusing to give her all her full prizes, Phyna accused a soft drink brand of sending her expired drinks.
Having realised her mistake, she apologised, refuting her initial statement.
Netizens slammed her for not double-checking before going online and urged her to pedal slowly.
Etinosa on her X platform, sent a public warning to Phyna’s critics, telling them to cease all criticisms against the reality star or have her to contend with.
She said: “I think it’s okay to give Phyna a break at this point. No one is above mistake even you Judgina leave that girl. It’s not easy navigating life with no father and no Mother or senior adviser. Life is not easy for anyone.
“Nobody came to this life with a manual. Y’all should give my baby sister a break!!!! Talking like you got your life figured out at her age. Even some 40 year Olds still struggling, now add public eyes and pressure.
“Before you say why did she go for the show if she can’t handle pressure, the answer is “hustle”. Cos everyone needs food on their table. She is razz she is razz okay!! Did she choose to be born into a razz environment or family?? Omo you guys ehn. God forbid!!
“Anybody that comes for Phyna again will have it very hot with me. Be like as I don calm down for this Obasanjo internet because of Motherhood una don forget say I no well normally. Nonsense.”
Celebrated actress Etinosa Idemudia does not need any form of introduction in Nollywood. She is known around the globe for her acting prowess, especially her knack for excellence in any arm of acting she chooses to operate in. She is a rare combo of beauty and brain, a thoroughbred professional. She is as popular in skit making as well as in filmmaking. She recently made her directorial debut with a film currently enjoying massive rave reviews, while warming up for the release of another production under her belt. In this chat with SAM ANOKAM, the multiple award-winning thespian shares her emotional experience in her new flick, ‘When the Tables Turn,’ motherhood and other relevant issues.
Please, tell us about your latest work?
My latest work is the film I directed, it is my directorial debut titled ‘When Tables Turn.’ It centres on Maureen, a married woman who had trouble trying to conceive and all the while her husband blamed her, her husband’s family maltreated her thinking that she was barren not knowing that her husband had infertility issue and he would ignorantly refuse to get tested, refused to go to the clinic. All the while, they keep bullying her to go to the clinic and treat herself, synonymous to the African behaviour of men in marriages when there is anything wrong especially in issues of fertility, they always blame the woman. I picked this story particularly to direct because it is very close to home. It is a very dear story to me. In fact, it has a large part of my life story in it. When I was married earlier in 2013, we had fertility issues and by virtue of ignorance, my ex-husband would tell me to go and treat myself. It was a very horrible experience for me and it’s heartwarming and I think inspiring that after so many years, I could come up with the courage to tell this story to connect with other women that are probably going through this or have gone through it or know someone who has gone through it.
I’d like to tell stories, make movies that speak to my audience, movies that my audience can connect with, movies that they can relate to and probably cause a positive change in their lives. My films are like a mirror to the society where they get to check out themselves in the mirror and if there is a character in my films that look like you, you see how you are, you see if you need to work on yourself or make some adjustments, that’s practically what we use the mirror for -to see ourselves in our most vulnerable state. How we truly are and how the world sees us and then we know if we should adjust or not. Those are the key things I think about when I am choosing a script to produce or when I chose this script to direct it.
Why did you direct it?
Like I said before, it is so close to home, it is part of my life experience. I felt that no one else could tell the story like I would since it was my life experience and wrote the script. There is a popular saying that if you are a good scriptwriter, chances are that you would make a good director. However, I did not just jump into directing from scriptwriting. I took classes online, I understudied other directors. I served other directors and of course, the schools and I did a lot of research. I also did a lot of practice before the actual movie. You know I shoot and direct my skits. This has been on for years. I have been working to become a director. I didn’t just wake up and decide to be a director. However, let me confess, for this film, the original plan for directing was not me. I was not meant to direct this film. I had hoped to just be like a student director to the actual director, being that it was my story, experience but unfortunately, the director called the day before the shoot to say she was ill. I made some calls to try and get a replacement director and I couldn’t get anyone. And a lot of people, my producer and director friends were like, why don’t you direct, you know you can do it. I have seen you direct before, you wrote the script, I know what you can do, direct this film. And I was like no, I need a director asking for who is free. I made some more calls and the more calls I made, the more people kept telling me to direct my film. That was how I went to the drawing board to digest the script one more time. I had location pictures, videos and I did a lot of work overnight because I just realised I was going to direct the film the night before. I got a strong Director of Photography, and together we made a good team alongside my other crew members and cast and we made a lovely film.
We had over 2000 comments on this movie from all the people this movie has impacted. I mean in just six days, we got over 600,000 people who had watched it, thousands of people talking about this film and I was like, wow, I made a hit.
What were the challenges on set?
We had challenges upon challenges. First of all we had some equipment issues where we had to stop shooting and we lost a lot of production time because we had to swap to get proper equipment. I do not compromise when it comes to filmmaking. I feel like the audience deserves the best. Instead of managing equipment, we are going to lose production time. I mean this is my first time directing, I have got to get it right. Then, having to book things down, book equipment, actors for a particular time and then you are running out of time. These things are inevitable on a project. What you plan is definitely not what is going to happen in real life.
Do you hope to direct more movies with this experience?
Of course, I’m definitely going to direct again. As a matter of fact, on the 15th of February, my team and I are going to hit location again with me as the director on a very lovely comedy movie starring myself, Nosa Rex and Obehi Aburime. It’s going to be a very interesting comedy titled, ‘Love by Accident.’ From the title, you can tell that there is going to be a problem.
What are your thoughts on Nigeria’s content getting more global recognition?
I feel like it’s a win-win for Nigeria, for Africa as a whole. I feel like our content getting exported is a very big achievement in Nollywood. The international market wants more of our contents, more of Africa and I’m glad because I always used to say that we African content creators should tell more of our African stories. Nobody can tell it as we would because some people make reference to American Hollywood stories and all of that but I feel like you can best represent your experience. So, telling an original African story wins all the time not only locally, but now it is winning globally. It’s a welcome movement and it is something I feel like everyone should support.
What should be done about film distribution?
A lot is yet to be done about film distribution. I feel like we need more channels, opportunities, avenues of film distribution because Nigerian content is one of the most consumed contents in the world and we have this content in numbers. What we are looking for is to make these contents get to our viewers and I know we are developing in terms of distribution. Look at the numbers of cinemas we have now compared to like two or three years ago. We are improving, we are growing and I believe that more work can be done and we are going to grow better in terms of distribution.
Are you comfortable with some expensive pranks some content creators do?
Being a writer and content creator, I have very little time to watch a lot and see these things. I feel like pranks are cool, they are funny, they are interesting. I am not very sure of the ones you are talking about. All I know is that there is a limit to everything. As long as you are not causing harm mentally, physically, financially to others by your pranks, I feel like it is okay. But if it is extreme, and goes beyond boundaries, beyond the limits of socialisation, then I think whatever prankster needs to just calm down. I feel like pranks have reduced drastically. I don’t see many of them anymore.
Which is more tasking; skit making or movie making?
It is like asking which is more tasking to cook, noodles or spaghetti? They are one and the same to me. A lot of people look down on skit making, it looks like a joke. The amount of shots and takes you would have in a movie scene are the exact number of takes you have in a skit. Only difference is that a skit is shorter. If you are going to be making a film for like six to seven days, you are probably going to make a skit version for two or three days. Or if you are going to shoot a skit for a day, you probably do a film a lot more than that. You know a skit is a film, a short film. There is no dictionary word called skit maker. There is no professional word anywhere in the world called skit maker. They are called filmmakers. Skit makers and filmmakers are filmmakers. Some skit makers don’t even know it and the society is a bit ignorant about it and they label you all sorts of things based on their own understanding. Skits are short films. The short film would be less tasking because it is shorter. Doing a skit is easier but the difference is not much.
Do you sometimes think you want to practise computer engineering?
Well sometimes, I even think about my days of coding. I used to be very good in computer programming and software solutions, making databases for schools. That’s my old life, way, way many years ago. I did not professionally practise computer engineering , what I practised for three years was construction planning engineering. Once in a while I miss my colleagues, I miss the project we went on and fortunately, some of the skills I picked up in my years as a construction planning engineer, I also implement in my film projects, in my present life. One way or the other, I still practise planning engineering.
When are we expecting the next film after your most recent film?
I have Dear Sister in the cinemas in 2021. I produced ‘Osato’ which was in cinemas December 2023 for Rok studio, and I also wrote ‘Osato’ for Rok studios. It’s still showing in the cinemas presently. We are expecting our next blockbuster titled, Greener Pastures on the 13th of February 2024. Greener Pastures is one film that I am so excited about. It is something I know a lot of people, especially from the east, would be able to relate with. It is about a man who left his two-day old wife and travelled abroad for seven years to look for greener pastures. Do you expect the woman to remain faithful in Nigeria? What do you think the man is doing there for seven years? After seven years he returned to a big shock and he came with a big shock. The husband and wife exchanged shock with each other. I cannot wait for everyone to see this movie to find out what happened.
At the end of the day, what do you hope to achieve in Nollywood?
The main purpose that I have in Nollywood is to minister to people. When I say minister, I don’t mean preach, I am not a pastor. What I hope to achieve in Nollywood is to create a platform where billions of people watch my movies and they have a mirror to look at. They have something to check themselves with. I want to create a positive change in my society around me and the society beyond with my films. I want to pass messages, lessons. I want to teach. I want to minister to people through my films and that is why every film that I write, produce, there is always a key moral lesson amongst other lessons to learn. I’m not only for entertainment, I’m also for education. I hope to achieve such a platform that would serve millions and billions of people, entertain them, educate them, uplift them, minister to them and show them what the world looks like from my point of view. If it means owning a television station, I am working at it. If it means owning a broadcasting station I’m working towards this. God help me.
Tell us about motherhood?
Motherhood is amazing. It is sacrifice, it is love. It is great to have someone who depends on you, who makes you feel so loved, who is an explicit image of you in flesh and blood. Motherhood has taught me things like patience. I plan better now because I am responsible for someone. Motherhood has made me love staying at home. Motherhood is something I feel like everyone should experience. There is a scary side of motherhood which I don’t know if it’s worth it at the end is the fact that the world is so evil and wicked, so having to protect your child from all of these evil is scary. Motherhood is fear as well. I don’t know if I’m the only one that feels this way. It is so scary when you think of the fact that you cannot be there for your child at every stage of their lives. At some point, they have to fight some battles on their own, that makes me so sad. When my child was taking her immunisation for the first time, I was crying because that is one pain I cannot stop for her. That time when she was born, anytime she is crying and I don’t know why she is crying, I will start crying because I’m like I cannot protect you as a mother from whatever is making you cry right now. How can I protect you from other things later in life? If you are in school, I want to be there all the time and I know I can’t and that makes me feel so deflated and defeated. Motherhood is like love on steroids. It is like a holistic experience. It is amazing.
Do you have any advice for up and coming actors?
Let us talk about marketing publicity and every other thing from a producer to actors, up and coming actors especially. Work on your publicity. Promote yourself, promote your brand. This is not even to actors alone, even in any other industry. Whatever thing you do in life, you need promotion, publicity. Advertise yourself. The way people say, oh this person is a clout chaser, and they say it like clout chasing is a bad thing.
Clout chasing is a good thing. No thanks to pop culture they have changed the meaning of clout. Clout is noise, clout is good, clout is a positive vibration for your brand. Clout is attention that your brand can drag. Every brand needs clout. Every brand needs to be seen. Every brand needs to be heard. You can’t be selling properties and you don’t announce it. Nobody is going to know you have the best properties in the world. Even if you have the best talent, and you are the best actress, if producers do not know you, then you would never get into any film. Apart from talent, work on being seen, visible, noticed. If anybody calls you, notice me, don’t mind them. You need to be noticed as a small brand. Big brands are pumping thousands of dollars into publicity. They are paying for ads everywhere you turn. And you small brand is ashamed to post your brand. Please, always promote yourself.
