Actress Habibat Jinadu Opens Up On Bleaching Skin For Movie Roles, Shares Downside

Nollywood actress Habibat Jinadu has made a shocking revelation about the extreme lengths she went to in order to secure movie roles in the film industry.

Speaking during an interview with BBC Yoruba, the Yoruba actress confessed that she bleached her skin because directors frequently complained that she was too dark for certain roles.

Jinadu explained that back then, the industry heavily favored fair-skinned actresses, and she was often told she looked too dark under the movie set lights.

She noted that the discrimination went beyond skin color, as slim actresses were also overlooked for roles that required chubbier actresses. According to her, the pressure made her decide to bleach her skin and eventually began getting roles.

She also shared the physical toll of her decision, revealing that she started sustaining injuries and tearing her skin from minor bruises while on set.

Jinadu recounted how her pregnancy in 2023, forced her to stop bleaching. She noted that when she eventually quit, she faced heavy backlash and was insulted by people who were used to her fairer complexion.

She said:
"Back then, if you were not fair, nobody would call you for jobs. Whenever they turned the light on us on a movie set, the director would say I was too dark. I didn’t pay much attention to it until someone said I looked like a monkey."

"I bleached my skin because if you were dark-skinned, then you would not get a role. Also, if you were not chubby but slim, you would not get a role."

"So, I went ahead, bleached my skin and started expecting to get roles. And indeed, I started getting roles."

"But people could not recognise me any longer. If I stepped out to buy something, people would go like, ‘You look familiar,’ ‘You look like an actress.’”

"Then, I started sustaining injuries and tears from minor bruises on sets and all. It all dawned on me when I got pregnant in 2023. And when you are pregnant, you cannot bleach your skin."

"When I eventually stopped, people started abusing me and calling me all sorts of names."