Many Angles To The Fallout Between Abike Shugga And Toyin Abraham

OpenLife reports that Abike Shugga, a rising Instagram influencer and actress, has finally spoken out about the controversy that surrounded her in 2023 over claims of disloyalty in the film industry.

She explained that her journey into the spotlight didn’t happen overnight. According to her, she first met Funke Akindele during an audition organized by JJC Skills. That moment marked one of her early connections in the industry.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Abike said she shifted her focus to fashion. She bought a sewing machine, started creating outfits, and eventually went viral online.

That visibility caught the attention of Toyin Abraham, who reached out to her and offered support.
From there, their relationship grew. Toyin reportedly featured her in projects like Agoalago and helped increase her exposure.

Abike shared that she also contributed behind the scenes, helping with content creation. For those efforts, she said she was usually paid between ₦10,000 and ₦15,000 per session, and received about ₦50,000 after spending two weeks working on Agoalago.

However, she noted a difference when working with Funke Akindele. According to Abike, she earned more from those collaborations about $600 for promoting one movie and $800 for another series. She also claimed she was paid ₦500,000 for playing a lead role in the movie Malika, which took around two months to shoot.

The situation reportedly took a turn when Abike noticed Toyin Abraham promoting another colleague’s film. Based on that, she accepted a promotional deal from Funke Akindele and said she informed Toyin beforehand.

Despite that, things didn’t go smoothly. Abike alleged that Toyin felt betrayed, saying she received calls and voice notes expressing disappointment. She was also reportedly asked to take down certain posts related to the promotion.

According to Abike, the fallout didn’t just end there it allegedly affected her career. She claimed she lost a job opportunity after a producer was influenced not to cast her.

On her part, Toyin Abraham chose not to engage publicly in the dispute. Instead, she described Abike as being “like a daughter” to her, while also disputing the financial claims, insisting that “nobody pays ₦500k to any upcoming actress and actor.”

The situation reflects differing perspectives between both parties, with each handling it in their own way. It also highlights the complexities of professional relationships and career decisions in the entertainment industry.