‘I was never friends with Annie Macaulay’- Yvonne Jegede responds to internet backlash

Nollywood actress Yvonne Jegede has clarified the state of her friendship with Annie Macaulay, the ex-wife of Innocent ‘2Baba’ Idibia.

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Recall that both Annie and Yvonne were models in 2Baba’s 2004 monster hit song, ‘African Queen’, which brought him fame.

Recently, the actress celebrated 20 years on stage, an event which 2Baba attended with his new wife, Natasha Osawaru.

This led to Yvonne facing heavy backlash, as many felt she had betrayed her colleague and friend.

In her initial reaction on Instagram, the actress urged her fans and followers not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

She wrote: “I chose to respect people’s choices. I chose to see the good in people and, where necessary, give them my honest opinion in private. Show people love when they are at their lowest. Don’t throw the baby with the bathing water.”

No friendship

Providing further clarification on her friendship with Annie, the actress, who Onoge Tega Ben interviewed on Naija Info FM, said that she does not have issues with what people are saying and that they are only reacting to what the blogs have fed them.

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“It is the bloggers that I would say are very shameless. They don’t check facts; they don’t check anything. They are only after the clicks. The only thing that got to me was that the event was intended to showcase my good works, my philanthropic efforts, and the charity that I’ve been doing for years.

“So even while I was celebrating 20 years, I was also talking about the foundation that I was about to set up. That was what the whole celebration was about, but because they had seen someone who was making the news, the blogs focused on him. There were other celebrities there, but they picked what would favour them,” she said.

According to her, because the blogs are trying to push a narrative so much, they begin to lie about people.

Providing further clarification, Yvonne, who was married to musician and actor Abounce, said that she and Annie were never friends and that they only happened to be in the same video.

“There was never any reason for us to unfollow each other. I’ve never followed her before, and she has never followed me before. Apart from the ‘African Queen’ video, I don’t think anybody has seen us together before.

“I walked into a studio, I shot my part, and I left, and that was it. It’s been 21 years. If I have seen her, maybe twice or three times in my entire life. I found it very disrespectful of the bloggers to tag me a backstabber and a disloyal friend,” Yvonne added.

20 years on stage

Speaking on her 20-year stint in the Nigerian movie industry, the divorced mother of one said that the industry has favoured her and found her worthy.

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According to her, no matter where she goes, if she comes back, the industry still receives her.

“It’s only grace that carried me. In the past 20 years, I’ve done all sorts of movies. I’ve bared myself. I’m just grateful to God for everything so far. I took a five-year break from 2007 to 2012.

People who left for one or two years often find it difficult to come back, but after five years, I came back and still made it. So, it’s only God. I’ve been blessed. I refused to use the word lucky, but I’ve been blessed,” she said.