Funke Akindele faces backlash for missing Kamo’s movie premiere

Nollywood actress Funke Akindele is facing criticism on social media after she did not attend the premiere of her mentee, Akinyoola Ayoola, known as Kamo State.

Kamo’s debut film, Star Lomo, premiered on Sunday, and many users are questioning why Akindele was not there. This is surprising since the two have had a close relationship for a while now.

Their bond became more visible during the filming of Everybody Loves Jenifa in 2024. Kamo helped promote the movie and became closely linked with Akindele.

Kamo often appeared in Akindele’s Snapchat posts, where she shares parts of her life with her followers. Akindele has also hosted Kamo and his wife and supported many of his projects.

Through her connection, Kamo worked on projects like Aiyetoro Town Season 2, Behind The Scenes, and Everybody Loves Jenifa. They have been seen together at various events, with Akindele showing her support for him on multiple occasions.

But their appearances together have decreased this year, and Kamo is no longer featured as much on Akindele’s social media. This change, along with her absence from the premiere, has led some people to speculate that there may be a disagreement between them.

Some social media users are comparing Kamo’s situation to Akindele's past relationships with other mentees, like Juliana Oloyede, also known as Toyo Baby, and Tobi Makinde. Akindele’s absence drew extra attention since Kamo held his premiere in Lagos while she was in Ghana for a holiday with singer Waje, who stars in her upcoming film, The Four.

User Depegan of Lagos (@Mautiin01) asked, “WHERE IS FUNKE AKINDELE? Kamo supported Funke heavily during her own movie season, but now it’s his turn and we hardly see her anywhere. Why isn’t Funke showing Kamo the same support?”

This post sparked mixed reactions. Some users questioned why Akindele was not there, while others defended her.

Fúnmilọ́lá A. (@funmilo_la) replied, “If not for Funke Akindele, would you have known Kamo? You lots just like to farm engagements on nonsense. Did Kamo come to complain to you? Why is a fully grown adult invested in people’s private lives? Nigerians.”

Another user, Vgooduc (@Vgoodll), defended Akindele, saying, “Funke Akindele attended Kamo's wedding in Ibadan, sponsored the child naming ceremony. She even featured him in her movies even when the scenes were not needed. Because she didn’t attend the premiere, she’s now a bad person?”

Meanwhile, First Man (@AdeAjay07519752) pointed out Akindele’s location, saying, “While Kamo State is premiering his movie STAR LOMO in Nigeria, his screen mother, Funke Akindele, is in Ghana hiking. Datiemo.”

Another user, royalbestie (@Royalbesti), said, “Kamo did what he did to get exposure please. Meanwhile, Funke did proper PR for him when he did ilu le on YouTube. How does Funke Akindele not showing for the premiere yesterday determine the success of the movie?”

Prisca (@Priscy5_) also came to Akindele’s defense, stating, “People want Funke Akindele to have problems with everybody she has ever worked with. Funke is in Ghana and you don’t know the kind of support she would have given to Kamo for that movie and its premiere, but Twitter people like dragging her.”

Similarly, adeloisade (@awoman_engineer) argued, “What Funke has done for Kamo is way more than what Kamo has done for her. She put him in two of her blockbuster movies, hyped him with all his content, attended his wedding, and paid for his child’s naming ceremony. Leave FA.”

In contrast, s@RioLa (@SariolaHahremu) suggested that the situation shows they might not be on good terms, saying, “It’s now evident that they are not in good terms at the moment because Funke is like a godmother for Kamo, and in all the promotions for the movie, I didn’t see any from Funke.”

The Graced Olabisi (@OlabisiZoey) commented on Akindele’s relationships, saying, “Honestly, Funke Akindele should stop all the overfamiliarity with the people who work with her because this is why people start shouting ‘user’. They think the person is now automatically her family member. Let everybody do their job and go home.”

Still, the online chatter does not prove that Akindele and Kamo have fallen out. Their relationship has been marked by public support, with Akindele promoting Kamo’s work and featuring him in her productions.