Actress and director, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, has shared her experience of being banned by movie marketers in 2005, along with other top actors like Genevieve Nnaji, Ramsey Nouah, and Jim Iyke.

Speaking on Yanga FM, Omotola said the ban was due to the group’s push for better quality and higher standards in filmmaking, which didn’t sit well with some industry stakeholders.

Omotola revealed that the restriction lasted longer for her, likely because she didn’t attend a reconciliation meeting.

During this period, she said she explored other creative outlets, releasing her first music album, and focused on business ventures, including property investments.

According to her, the experience was a turning point that pushed her to grow and explore new paths, despite the setback in her acting career.

Recounting the incident, she said, “The phase started 2005 when we were banned. Marketers banned us saying our ‘wahala’ was too much and we were a bad influence on the industry because we were pushing for standards. The first 8 were me, Genevieve, Ramsey Nouah, Jim Iyke, Stella Damasus, RMD, Nkem Owoh, and one other person.

“We were 8, they just banned us. One year after they released some people because they called for reconciliation meeting and I refused to go, so they released others and extended my own. I like to direct than act, it was during that period I realised that acting all the time is not my passion, I will act because I really like the script”. (The Nation)