Funke Akindele Reacts After Facing Criticism Over Post Shared Online Following Ogogo’s Death
- Funke Akindele faced heavy criticism online after sharing birthday photos on the same day the industry mourned Taiwo Hassan's death
- Dozens of social media users called out the actress for not showing restraint following the Nollywood legend's passing
- The 49-year-old actress broke her silence by responding to a heartfelt tribute posted by an actor she mentored years ago
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Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele found herself at the centre of an online storm after she marked her 49th birthday with a series of glammed-up photos, at a time when the industry was grieving the death of veteran actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo.
In her birthday post, Akindele shared her gratitude to God, reflecting on seasons of wins, mistakes, lessons, and challenges, and crediting Him as her constant strength and shield. What seemed like a personal, faith-driven celebration, however, did not land well with a section of her followers.
Source: Instagram
Critics Call Out the Actress
Many Nigerians felt the timing was insensitive, arguing that Akindele should have paused the celebration out of respect for the fallen Nollywood icon.
One Ayofe wrote: "Shey you no dey read the room no? Na birthday be the next thing to dey post?"
One Olayinka Mujeeb Aden wrote:
"Aunty Funke, shame on you! We are mourning the death of Ogogo. And you dey post about birthday. Omo, this is not fair."
OAR Azeez wrote: "Why you no shift your birthday to another day? You lost a prominent person in your industry, which comes to sober reflection. Remember that death is inevitable."
Kanel tweeted:
"If I were you, Aunty Funke, I woulda forgo the celebration of my birth for the year. Today should be all about the passing of Ogogo. But we are not the same person. Happy birthday to you, and I wish you long life in good health. I wish for you to continue to prosper."
Constantinople wrote:
"A colleague of yours just died even though you sent your condolences yesterday, and so? A colleague and a legend, but here u are posting a photo shoot coz you're too hungry to post on ur birthday. What a good human being you are. Congratulations hbd! Hurrrrraaayy yeye."
Source: Instagram
Akindele's Response Amid the Drama
Rather than addressing the backlash directly, Akindele chose to respond to a warm birthday tribute posted by actor Iyebiye Adeitan, who recalled how he slid into her Twitter DMs back in 2011 as a teenager hoping to join her Scene One School of Drama.
He described how she showed him unexpected kindness during a film location shoot, giving him money through her sister after he grew homesick, money he used to buy a BlackBerry Curve 2. Fifteen years later, the two crossed paths again professionally, with Adeitan now a creative working alongside the filmmaker he once admired from afar.
To the tribute, Akindele replied with a string of laughing emojis before adding, "my darling. thank you 🙏❤️🫂"
The response, warm and unbothered, signalled that the actress was choosing joy over drama on her milestone birthday, regardless of the noise around her.
See the viral conversation between Funke Akindele and younger colleague:
Funke Akindele speaks on sacrifices for success
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Funke Akindele revealed the immense personal sacrifices she made while producing Behind The Scenes, which has grossed ₦2.7 billion at the Nigerian box office.
She disclosed that the project demanded sleepless nights, missed meals, and abandoning social events to stay fully committed to her work.
Now, the actress is finally enjoying rest and self-care after the film’s remarkable commercial success.
Source: Legit.ng
