Nollywood star Funke Akindele bravely shares her past struggles with emotional pain and online bullying, advocating for seeking therapy and speaking up about mental health

Popular Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has made a heartfelt appeal for individuals to openly address their mental health challenges and seek professional therapy.

Also read: Funke Akindele announces political comeback

During a recent WithChude Live talk hosted by media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo, Akindele revealed that despite her strong public persona, she had privately battled significant emotional pain and the impact of online bullying.

She recounted how attempts to project strength often led to further emotional burdens from various aspects of her life, including family, work, and societal expectations. Akindele admitted reaching a critical point where she “almost lost it mentally.”

The actress shared that the passing of her mother, the intense backlash she faced during her foray into politics, and public mockery of her personal life significantly impacted her mental well-being, ultimately leading her to seek therapy.

“When Mum passed on — my everything, my prayer partner — the politics, the backlash, the insults, you know?” Akindele recounted. “There was one video I watched.

They were mocking me, saying I don’t have a husband. Women dancing and mocking me. I broke down. I cried and cried and cried.

Then I told myself, you need to speak to someone about this. You can’t continue like this. You need to speak up, you understand? And I reached out, and I started speaking. I felt better.

“Right from the start, I’ve always known that therapy is important, but I never submitted myself to it. You know, I’d be like, I don’t want anyone to hear about me. They’ll go and spread the gist. But I was dying in silence because I was acting strong,” Akindele confessed.

Things I couldn’t tell others, I told my therapist. And now I’m better. So I want to advise you out there: it’s very important for you to speak up. Yes.”

Akindele also shared a particularly distressing incident during a family vacation in Dubai, where she faced online accusations of neglecting the late actress Adejumoke Aderounmu, who had reportedly struggled with depression. Akindele, who was already battling her own emotional turmoil, described how the accusations intensified her distress.

Reflecting on a moment when she contemplated going live on social media while feeling overwhelmed, Akindele emphasized the crucial need for vulnerability and seeking support, stating, “There’s no such thing as a strong person. You need to speak up.”