Ama K. Abebrese pokes nose into Nana Akua, Yvonne feud

Filmmaker and actress, Ama K. Abebrese, has waded into the renewed feud between actress Nana Akua Addo and producer Yvonne Nelson, calling for unity and focus on building Ghana's film industry instead of dragging up old comments.

Abebrese, known for her advocacy for African cinema, said her concern stems from a recent exchange sparked by Nana Akua Addo — who she described as “undoubtedly the queen of red carpet fashion, certainly from West Africa.”

The tension was reignited when Nana Akua referenced a 2017 comment by Yvonne Nelson, who said Ghanaian celebrities focused more on “slaying on the red carpet” than on the industry.

“Most people would think this is beef, this is inciting something that is really not necessary, and I have to say, I agree,” Ama K. Abebrese said. The actress noted that Yvonne, a mother, school owner, and film producer, “doesn't talk much about fashion stuff” and did not even mention names in her 2017 comment.

She argued that dragging up a decade-old remark throws a negative light on what should have been a positive moment. “When I look at it, it just throws a negative light on something that should have been so positive. Whether you like it or not, Nana Akua Addo, people are going to look at that as a jab at your fellow female actor.

“They'll look at it as negative on Ghanaian celebrity culture as a whole. How can two queens in your own right highlight something from such a long time ago?” she quizzed.

Ama K. Abebrese appealed to both women and the industry at large to shift focus. “As actors, as producers, as directors, let's focus on building and elevating the movie industry, the film industry, the creative industry in Ghana, in West Africa, on the continent. Because guess what — we live in a global village. Social media takes everything global. Imagine producers from all over the world thinking, 'I want to come and work in Ghana.' Please, let's do better. Let's focus on the positives,” she added.