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Star Actress, MORADEKE ADEGBOYEGA
Moradeke Adegboyega, the very curvy actress cum movie producer, is one of the few filmmakers in the industry, that enjoys a very private life. Despite being a showbiz personality, she doesn’t grant interviews and make noise about anything about her personal life. One only gets to hear from this down to earth lady, only when she is promoting a new project. Unfortunately her story went rounds few months ago when she had to settle issues in court with her ex-husband who is also into the showbiz business, he manages big names in the movie industry. They both had a message divorce and also dragged the real ownership of one of her outstanding movie titled “A Million Dollar Baby”.
The movie that won star actor, Odunlade Adekola his first and ever AMVCA.
Though she is been out of the country and got back few months ago to work on her latest project, which features Moyo Lawal, Gabriel Afolayan and a host of others.
For those who don’t know much about her and her journey into the entertainment industry. She joined the movie industry in 2006, after working with renowned filmmaker Emem Isong as a Welfare Officer.
Her interest in filmmaking developed from there, and since 2016, she has produced 10 movies and also featured in them.
City People’s BIODUN ALAO got her to talk about the divorce, her career and latest project, and she opened up on how her second marriage crashed within few years, why she finds it difficult to feature in other people’s movie, why she has totally given up on the union called marriage, and why she is rebranding. Below are the excerpts.
Acts start with the controversies surrounding your marriage and movie I understand you are a very private person, but your fans wants to hear your own side of the story?
I will like to start by saying the act of men is wicked, you just know yourself, just do you, be you and leave the rest for God.
It was really surprising actually to even hear that my ex would say that he didn’t know I was married before now. While I was in Canada I realised that my movie “A Million Babay” was on Amazon, and he reached out to me, telling me the movie was on Amazon, so I asked him, who gave the authority for the movie to be on Amazon, he said he did, so I told him, he should have consulted me. He said they have not paid, once they do, he will send my cut, I was just smiling and I was like I financed the movie from the beginning till the end, I went to Panti and reported the case because he fraudulently converted his name to the Executive Producer from my name. What was there before was Lakunle Oni and I as producers and my name only as the Executive Producer and there are evidence to back this up. And this was how he doesn’t know I was once married started.
So after reporting the case, they started investigation at Panti. Few weeks later, I received a call from the Police Station Zone 2, that an allegation has been levied against me. I was surprised, I read the statement.
I am saying this for the sake of other women out there, whenever you are doing anything, please apply wisdom.
The same lawyer I introduced to Lakunle Oni, who also advised that since I am still married and not done with the paper works, though I have been separated from my first husband for over 5 years, so due to this, we can’t do anything civil or registry for my second marriage, so we should go to church was the same lawyer that still wrote for my ex, saying that he didn’t know I was married. I lost my dad two weeks to my wedding to Lakunle and due to this, I didn’t want to go ahead with the marriage but he convinced me. So when I read through all the lawyer wrote, that he didn’t know I was once married, and also that I was older than him, that was a big lie, so I just laughed at the whole thing, most especially coming from that Lawyer. It was even during my court case with Lakunle, that I realised my divorce with my first husband has been finalised and granted, this is why I said the heart of men are wicked.
Eventually we met with ASP and the case was dismissed, because it has no ground, he did all that because of the Panti case just to discredit me. He fradulently converted my work to his own and selling to Film One without my knowledge.
How exactly did you get into the movie industry?
I got into the industry through Emem Isong, as a Welfare Manager. I fell in love with her work and how she goes about it, and that also inspired me. The journey has been fun for me though. I have strong passion for the job. I do things at my will, not under any pressure. I don’t do this for the same, and few people that knows me, will also attest to that.
A lot of people in our society tody needs to know the difference between fame and success. I like the way I am going about my thing. I have written scripts for a lot of producers.
And my latest movie is something very different from others. Then talking about what actually inspired my current movie. I have had this movie for over 2 to 3 years. At times, I just imagine things in my head, not really like something inspired me. Sometimes, I just sit, and some ideas just comes up, and when it comes that way. I just start to write, so I won’t forget, so sometimes, it is spiritual the inspiration just come.
In your journey so far, how many movies have you produced?
Yes, I have produced a good number of movies, and currently I am also rebranding, I just changed the name of the company from “Just Distinguish Production”, which my ex is using.
And anything that has to do with the old company will be on hold I don’t want to use that again, that is the company he is using to manage his clients, and I don’t want us to start having any form of misunderstanding so that is why I am rebranding the name of my new company “Omo Flaming Production Studio” and it will be launched soon. Our first baby at Mo Flaming is titled “Submission” and it means the world to me, and I am so excited introducing my new company.
Why do you find it difficult featuring in other movies except yours?
Yes, featuring in other people’s productions is not something I have ever crave for, that is the truth.
Starting up, I have a few producers who like me and would always invite me for their movies, but the honest truth is that I find it hard to sleep on a movie set, that is not mine. That is why even when I produce my movies, even if the location is far, I don’t sleep in hotels. It’s my major problem having to sleep out. And in my own case if I take that risk of being on someone’s set and they are don’t done at the right time, what do I do, I can’t work out of the production.
I am not here for the fame but rather just to product. Then acting has never been part of my plans I started acting by chance. An actor I booked for a role couldn’t make it and I had to do that in her place that was how I started acting.
What would you say is responsible for the marriage breakup?
I will like to ask myself this question first, was this marriage based on love at the first place, maybe not from me to him, because you know women, we are usually very soft so from him to me, it was never about love, so why he went ahead is what I don’t understand, I keep asking myself why.
In 2020, Covid happened and I was stuck in Canada for almost a year and by the time I came back, it was a whole different ball game entirely, so do I blame him for everything? No, I don’t. If you ask me, I would say I thank God for making everything happened.
So will I say Covid is the reason my ex-husband would bring his girlfriend to my matrimonial home.
It is, what it is, to the extent that he introduced the girl to me to make my hair, she works with an hair company, I would literary give her my wigs to fix for me, at times, she would even call me oh I am broke, send me money, so in everything I thank God.
I produced my movie “A Million Baby In 2016” and in all fairness he supported, though not financially but rather just to coordinate the production, since he has a thing for movies too, I encouraged him to come on set and see how things are done and after seeing all the efforts he puts, I decided to give him CV producer credit of the movie honestly there were issues in the marriage like every other couple, but nothing serious that will cause a total break up.
How long have you been in the industry?
I would say 2006, because that was when I produced my first movie “Shalewa” and till date I have produced 10 movies, so if he is saying he is the Executive Producer of the movie, how many movies has he produced before then, and after then too. He kept lying saying we had verbal agreement.
Do you have any regrets so far in regards to the marriage?
Yes, we learn from my mistake why won’t I regret it, from someone I call my husband, would take my contents, that he has not invested a dime on, sold it and spent the money. Why won’t I regret it, someone I once called my husband who knew everything about me when I started my divource proceedings he took me to Shagamu severally on the same issue, with the same Lawyer that wrote a petition against me that he didn’t know I was once married. Also that the Lawyer I once introduced to him is the same Lawyer, he used against me. I just thank God for life.
How long did the marriage last?
The marriage happened in November 2018, and it ended September 5th, the whole of 2020, I was not in the country, basically I would say we lived as a couple for just a year and few months. When I got the signs were already there, so we were never a couple in 2021, he moved out September 5th, 2021.
So for me, I would say the marriage was just for a year but in the whole drama, I would say two and half years.
If you given opportunity, will you get married again?
Honestly I am a lover, I love love, but I won’t give marriage any chance again, but for companionship, yes, nothing I repeat nothing will make go on that marriage thing with any man again.
Though my first marriage was not the proper wedding, though we still went to the registry. In my place it is said that it is when a man pays you dowry and do the registry thing, then it is considered a proper wedding, so my first didn’t pay my dowry, we just went to the registry, so that is why I said it is not a proper wedding, it was my second that payed my dowry. There are some couples that still love each other and water the storm together. Marriage for me is overrated, but in everything I thank God.
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