Veteran actress Jumoke George has courageously shared her painful experiences with the predatory behavior of certain figures in the film industry, which led to her prolonged 14-year absence.
Speaking candidly, she recounted the distressing events that shaped her career, her voice filled with both grief and resilience as she revisited those challenging memories.
She distinctly remembered times when she was under constant pressure from powerful film directors to compromise her morals in order to get roles, putting her ethics to the test.
She said that her unwillingness to participate in the sex-for-roles act had a high price and nearly diminished her once-bright limelight on the big screen for more than ten years.
In a revealing new interview on a recent episode of Oyinmomo TV, she laid bare the harsh realities she faced, illuminating the darker side of an industry that often prioritizes appearance and sexual favors over talent.
Jumoke George, whose rich dark skin has always been a source of pride, recounted how her refusal to conform to the twisted expectations of promiscuous movie practitioners led to her prolonged hiatus.
According to her, she faced relentless criticism from directors who, rather than recognizing her immense talent, suggested she bleach her skin to fit their narrow standards of beauty.
In her candid recollections, The 59-year-old highlighted the chilling moment when a director brazenly informed her that she was being blacklisted for her refusal to engage in sexual favors, using the graphic phrase “removal of pants” as a stark illustration of the industry’s insidious demands.
She said in parts;
“My skin tone was not the only setback I encountered in this business. The other reason why I did not get any roles or see the back of a lens for 14 years is because I refused to sleep around. For my skin tone, they complained that I was too dark and I would tell them to add my lightning to the scene to make me look lighter,” she said.
“You cannot push me into something I do not want to do. I will glow with this skin till old age and do not forget, black does not crack. I started having issues with getting roles when the executives wanted a relationship in exchange for it. The pressure was getting immense and it was more than 20 to 30 people.
“Another thing was that if you dated one of them, broke up, and went ahead to date someone else, they would discuss you among themselves. I said to myself that as long as God exists, I would not find myself in such a space. I had to do so to avoid becoming a pass-around among them”
WATCH HER SPEAK IN CLIP BELOW