It is no longer news that Funke Akindele and Juliana Olayode who plays Toyo Baby on Jenifa’s Diary have gone their separate ways. According to TNS, Toyo Baby was cut off from the popular TV series for requesting an increase in pay which didn’t go well with Funke Akindele who feels she rode on the platform to become popular.
Sources revealed that Funke Akindele via her production manager and younger sister – Abimbola – pays actors between N3,000 and N150,000 (per episode/season of the show) depending on the role.
An actress who spoke under conditions of anonymity said Funke Akindele pays her actors miserable amounts of money. She said she was paid ‘Peanuts’ after being part of an all-night party scene on Jenifa’s Diary.
In her words:”I got a text message from Sceneone Productions that I had been selected to act on Jenifa’s Diary and I will be part of a party scene. I was so excited that I told my entire family about it. Mind you, it wasn’t my 1st time acting but d feeling of being on Jenifa’s diary was a big deal for me. I was asked to come with 5 different party costumes. Location was Amen Estate, Eleko. After filming with over 30 girls the whole night, Funke came to address us and advice that money shouldn’t be our priorities at this stage; that was when it occurred to me that something awkward was about to happen….just then, the Production Manager, Mr Osmond whispered something to Funke’s sister, Abimbola & she started paying us each 3K. Can u imagine?, 3K for all night shoot!…on Jenifa’S dIARY!… I was so mad, some of us had to turn down the money shaa….couldn’t face my mom to explain to her wat happened the next morning”.
TNS reports that actors like Lota Chukwu, Omotunde Lolo 1, Falz D Bahd Guy (who has also left the show) and Olayode are the highest paid actors who take home 150k per season.The rest take home much lesser money. Celebs like Tiwa Savage, Toke Makinwa and others who have had cameo appearances on the show reportedly got between 100k and 300k for ‘showing face’.
Toyo Baby hasn’t been associating with Funke Akindele and there are reports that the duo have unfollowed each other on Instagram.