Nollywood actress and filmmaker Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has opened up about her remarkable journey as a moviestar. She recently revealed that many actors from her generation took a break from acting after the social media era.
Speaking during an interview with Naomi Chima, Omotola said that while fame was still tricky in the past, with magazines spreading lies with sensational headlines, social media made it worse with faceless trolls who say anything to dampen your spirit.
According to her, she used to enjoy being active on Facebook and her website as she interacted with fans, but all of that changed when the toxic Twitter era started.
The mother of four stated that she already experienced the toxicity that the younger generation of celebrities is battling with today.
"Fame before social media was tricky. The junk magazines were our biggest challenge; they would write stories with sensational headlines, and you'd wake up to family calls asking what had happened, trying to calm everyone.
Then came social media: first websites, bloggers, gossip pages, and then Facebook. I was very active on Facebook and my website. My website had the highest hits at the time, and my Facebook page became the first with one million likes. It was exciting because fans could finally interact with us.
Later, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Twitter arrived. With Twitter, the fun changed. It became very toxic, with people trolling you over misunderstood comments. That's when many from my era stepped back. The younger generation is new to it and still learning; we went through all those stages," she said.
Omotola further noted that she is an introvert who only comes out of her shell when she is around people she trusts.
The moviestar concluded by saying that she avoids attending parties because her social battery does not last.
"None really. Some roles have been closed, but none represent me fully. I've realised I'm an ambivert. My extroverted side appears only around people I trust. I'm mostly introverted. In public, I tend to coil into myself, which people misinterpret as pride or snobbishness. That's why I avoid parties; my social battery drains quickly," she added.