Funke Akindele Recounts How Influencer Turned Down Her Paid Offer to Promote Everybody Loves Jenifa
- Funke Akindele spoke about the influencer rejection during a panel session at CANEX WKND in a video that circulated on X on November 7, 2026
- The filmmaker said she reached out multiple times proposing paid content collaboration for Everybody Loves Jenifa but was turned down by the influencer's management
- Akindele later encountered claims she had blocked someone over the disagreement, though she did not let the experience stop her from pursuing future partnerships
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Funke Akindele has opened up about a surprising rejection she faced while trying to promote her blockbuster film, Everybody Loves Jenifa, after an unnamed social media influencer turned down her paid offer.
The actress and filmmaker made the disclosure during a panel session at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND), in a video that surfaced on X on November 7, 2026.
Source: Instagram
Speaking candidly about the challenges of influencer marketing, Funke Akindele said she had been reluctant to reach out in the first place but eventually decided to try.
She proposed a content collaboration that would see the influencer post on her behalf several times weekly during the film's promotional campaign. Despite reaching out more than once, she received a cold response.
"There was one influencer I reached out to. I sent a message to them that I would like to create content. One, two, three, four times a week. And I didn't want to send this message. This was during Everybody Loves Jenifa, but I tried," she said.
What made the situation sting more was that the actress had offered to foot the bill.
Even so, the influencer's management shut the door, and when she followed up to clarify she was willing to pay, her message was ignored entirely.
"The person was like, 'I'm sorry, my management, they don't want me to do this.' The person was like, 'Oh, please, I'm paying. I'm paying.' The person ignored me," Akindele said.
Source: Instagram
How Funke Akindele handled the rejection
She later came across suggestions online that she had blocked someone connected to the incident, though she offered no names or further context about those claims.
Rather than firing back or dwelling on the slight, Funke Akindele said she chose to let it go. She credited her ability to move on to a mindset shift around criticism and professional setbacks.
"I didn't let it affect me. I embraced it. I didn't go and reply. I just said, God, take control. I got back to it," she said.
She also used the moment to advise others on the importance of separating genuine feedback from noise that is simply meant to discourage.
Watch Funke Akindele speak in the X video below:
Funke Akindele reacts to Jenifa's Diary post
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that a throwback clip from Jenifa's Diary stirred fresh waves of nostalgia online, after Funke Akindele weighed in on a fan-shared video from the beloved comedy series.
On Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Akindele quoted a fan's post featuring her iconic character Jenifa in a scene alongside Mr Willy Willy, a role brought to life by the late Alexx Ekubo.
In the clip, Jenifa was seen trying to get Mr Willy Willy to entertain a romantic connection, which the fan found amusing enough to caption: "Ashewo Dey this jenifa eyes sha."
Source: Legit.ng
