As Nollywood stars Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham get ready to release new films in December, their fans are back at it. They are comparing the two actresses, looking closely at how they promote their films, their connections in the industry, and their goals at the box office.
Both actresses are well-known in Nigeria’s film scene. They often find themselves in heated discussions online about how well their films perform, how they promote them, and claims that they copy one another.
Even though there have been times when the rivalry calmed down, recent events have sparked new conversations about their relationship. Fans of Akindele, called Titans, and fans of Abraham, known as Jenifans, are analyzing their every move. They interpret normal events as proof of a feud.
The upcoming films, The Four: No One Fights Alone by Akindele and Bestie by Abraham, have added to the competition. Their promotional efforts are drawing attention as December approaches.
One of the latest points of contention is the actresses’ use of customized Adire fabrics in their promotions. Akindele and her team, which includes Wumi Toriola, Kemity, and Lateef Adedimeji, recently wore matching blue Adire fabric with the title of The Four at Nike Akinyemi’s 40th birthday party.
Supporters of Abraham pointed to her 2023 outfits for Malaika, claiming she has also used customized fabrics before.
Shortly after, Abraham posted photos of herself wearing pink-and-orange Adire fabric for Bestie. This led to accusations of copying, which her designer denied, saying the fabric was planned in advance.
A fan, Mide Love (@mide_finegirl22), commented, “Babe I’m seeing too much coincidence in trying to copy everything Funke does. First was the Adire for promotion then now she’s talking about TikTok collaboration, just when Funke announced her own yesterday. The timing is just somehow.”
Another fan, Tbaz (@Omoeriolu), replied, “Who’s copying who??? It’s you people that are the problem atp… Toyin has always been using Adire for her movie promotion; no be today na so why were you people not saying FA copied?”
Some Jenifans also criticized Abraham’s style of announcing her new film title. They said it looked similar to how Akindele does it.
In October, Akindele’s partnership with Facebook for The Four also became a hot topic. Around the same time, Abraham shared a throwback post about her involvement in a TikTok cinema event related to Oversabi Aunty while expressing excitement for Bestie.
A fan, nddydav (@nddydav22), wrote, “If pain were a person it’s definitely you.. So because Funke Akindele partnered with Facebook, today you are doing throwback.”
Another fan, Arabella (@Bellahush2), added, “Funke fans were throwing shade at Toyin that she will soon copy Funke collaborating with Facebook. Later, Toyin posted her throwback and Funke fans started dragging her.”
The two events were not the same. Akindele hosted a watch party for Behind the Scenes, while Abraham went to a TikTok Africa event where the same film was shown. Yet, fans kept arguing over which actress had the better strategy on social media.
When Akindele’s interview with Larry Madowo on CNN’s African Voices aired around October 30, 2026, fans again compared the two actresses. Titans shared Abraham’s 2023 CNN interview. Prince Adeshina (@RealAdeshina) wrote, “In 2023, CNN Africa interviewed Toyin Abraham. Kindly watch.”
Jenifans responded by highlighting Akindele’s earlier media appearances. Enit’ayanfe Ayosojumi Akinsanya (@OsumareAyomi) wrote, “Ahh. You people won’t stop with false info?
Fra, perhaps?
“Funke Akindele got on CNN Africa in 2017 oo. Now again, 2026, on CNN Global. Nobody else that was mentioned set any trend o.
“2017 is not 2023 o. O jina si’ra won. Stop setting your mama up for unnecessary drags.”
Other Jenifans shared clips of Akindele to prove that she had more international exposure years ago.
The rivalry heated up in mid-October after an 11-minute audio recording surfaced online. The recording involved Abraham and TikTok fan Bisgold, who made insulting comments about Akindele.
This recording drew criticism from some Jenifans, who saw it as hypocritical. They linked it to a previous incident at a film premiere involving the two actresses. Some Titans questioned the truth of the recording or its context and criticized the sharing of what was meant to be private.
Bisgold later apologized to Abraham. However, Abraham did not confirm if the voice in the recording was hers.
Actress Foluke Daramola defended Abraham after the audio leak, saying on Instagram, “Oluwatoyin. Is there anything that she can say behind ur back and she won’t say in front of u? I doubt that sha. But one thing I will say about her is the wonderful spirit she has even with these Genz’s. The last time I called my daughter she didn’t pick, I told her I was with Toyin, she called back sharp sharp. I don’t know how u do it o @toyin_abraham but u have a wonderful spirit and I bless God for ur life. #bestieiscoming.”
Fans criticized her for “stylishly taking sides.” She later responded, accepting the label and questioning the negativity. Daramola warned that if anyone tried nonsense, she would curse them.
The encounter on March 29, 2026, at the premiere of Iyabo Ojo’s film, The Return of Arinzo, is still a hot topic online. A video from that day showed Abraham approaching Akindele’s table. While Ojo and Aigbe greeted Abraham, reports said Akindele did not react to her greeting.
This moment sparked discussions on social media about their body language and interaction. Both actresses unfollowed each other online, adding fuel to the fire of speculation about their relationship.
Fans continue to debate the incident, defending Akindele or criticizing her perceived snub. With The Four: No One Fights Alone and Bestie set for release in December, fans will keep a close eye on their promotional efforts as they maintain the rivalry in the public eye.
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