Nollywood actor and producer Olaide Olabanji has ignited fresh debate in the Yoruba film industry. During a recent interview on Oyinmomo TV, the veteran spoke candidly about his early role in Mercy Aigbe’s career and the deep hurt he says followed her rise to stardom.
Olaide explained that he first noticed Mercy Aigbe through a family connection.
“She and my younger sister were living together then so anytime I go to the family house, I usually see her there. A particular day in 2004, I approached her and asked if she knew how to act and she affirmed. So when I wanted to do a film, I asked her to play lead as her debut and she was surprised.”
Olaide did not stop at the past. He expressed disappointment that success changed her attitude toward him. He suggested some women behave differently once they reach the top and pointed to her visible discomfort around any mention of him as proof of lingering resentment.
“I helped Mercy Aigbe, but she repaid me with wickedness. Mercy Aigbe wishes I were dead. I used to thank God because I realised that once some women rise to prominence, they begin to act differently. I observed her closely and noticed that whenever she sees my picture, she always appears unhappy.”
These remarks come more than two decades after the events he described. Olaide produced the 2004 Yoruba film Sebeeyani, also known as Sebi Eyan Ni. He has consistently maintained over the years that he gave Mercy Aigbe her breakthrough lead role in that project. Reports from as far back as 2015 show him recounting a similar story.
Olaide Olabanji ranks among the established names in Yoruba Nollywood. As founder of Laiban Films, he has produced and directed numerous projects that launched several careers. Mercy Aigbe, on the other hand, has grown into one of the industry’s most recognizable faces. She commands strong followings for her acting range, fashion influence, and business ventures.
This latest interview revives a narrative Olaide first shared publicly years ago. Back in 2015 he told Encomium magazine that only a few of the talents he helped ever showed appreciation.