This week’s episode of #WithChude gave us a sneak peek into the life of the veteran actress, Adunni Ade. The celebrity opened up to host Chude Jideonwo about some of the darkest periods of her life, struggle with depression, career and more.
Highlighting some of her darkest moments, Adunni told Chude about the damage she endured growing up without her mother and the disappointment she experienced when she thought that moving back with her would make up for the lost time.
“I remember more hurt than I remember of happiness, growing up. When I moved out of Nigeria and moved in with my mum after secondary school, I didn’t realise the damage her not being around had caused. I just did not feel the love and care that I ought to.”
“I began to ask myself, is there God? Why do I have to endure so much hurt?”
Adunni constantly battled with depression due to the troubles she faced and told Chude that she had to be placed on medication to help “calm her nerves”. However, these drugs came with accompanying side effects.
“The depression was so intense that I had to use a tablet that had to be placed under my tongue so it could dissolve immediately. They did calm my nerves but the side effect was that I was beginning to lose my memory so I had to wean myself off them and start afresh.”
On her acting career, Adunni Ade revealed that she felt she had been “out casted” in the movie industry. After being nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Africa for a movie produced by Bovi -“It’s Her Day”, Adunni expected that her career would be on an upward trajectory, but instead, it went on a downward spiral.
“I have had jobs taken away from me, I’ve had colleagues who have now become big names yank my name off and make lies to producers on reasons why they shouldn’t give me the job. Deals – endorsements, have been yanked off my feet because “they don’t know me”, or “they don’t like me”, or “I’m not their person”. So they would rather put someone they’re cool with who can easily give them a cut – or whatever the case may be, rather than give me who truly deserves it”, she said.
Despite the backlash she has faced in her career, Adunni Ade said that seeing the smiles on her children’s faces keeps her motivated.
The award-winning actress continues to live up to her greatest life lesson, which is “to stay true to myself regardless of any situation, and never change to fit someone else’s lifestyle.”
#WithChude is a special series of targeted multimedia conversations and investigations focused on narratives that enable and strengthen the mind, heart, and spirit. New episodes of #WithChude show every Saturday at 9 pm on TVC Entertainment, with reruns every Sunday on Wazobia TV at 5 pm and every Thursday on EbonyLife TV at 7:30 pm.
An extended play podcast is up on Spotify, iTunes, among other podcast platforms, every Wednesday at 10:00 am. Everyone can join the conversations.
