Eniola Badmus Apologises to Laide Bakare, Calls for End to Bitter Feud: ‘I Choose Peace’
One of Nollywood’s longest-running cold wars may finally be thawing. Actress Eniola Badmus has publicly apologised to her colleague, Laide Bakare, after a viral clip from a podcast interview reignited the bitter feud between the two stars, declaring that she is choosing peace over pride and asking for an end to years of bad blood.
The apology, issued in a statement shared on her Instagram page on Tuesday, followed days of backlash over her reaction when Bakare’s name was mentioned during her appearance on content creator Isbae U’s Curiosity Made Me Ask podcast. The moment, captured on camera and circulated widely on social media, drew sharp criticism and revived discussions about the strained relationship between the two actresses.
The Podcast Moment That Started It All
The drama began with an innocuous question. During her sit-down on the popular Curiosity Made Me Ask podcast, host Isbae U mentioned Laide Bakare as one of his favourite actresses. Badmus’s response was immediate and visible: she appeared to hiss and her facial expression changed, a reaction that viewers interpreted as dismissive and contemptuous.
The clip spread quickly. Within hours, it was being reposted across Nigerian blogs, fan pages and gossip accounts, with commentators dissecting every frame of the actress’s face. For a star who had worked hard to rehabilitate her public image in recent years, the moment was a PR nightmare: a single hiss threatening to undo years of careful rebranding.
It was, in many ways, the worst possible stage for such a reaction. The Curiosity Made Me Ask podcast has become one of Nigeria’s most-watched entertainment interview platforms, and Isbae U’s guest list has included some of the biggest names in the industry. Whatever Badmus had hoped to project in that interview, the conversation about her appearance was soon dominated by one thing: the Laide Bakare moment.
The Apology, In Her Own Words
To her credit, Badmus did not wait long to address the controversy. On Tuesday, she took to Instagram with a reflective statement that pulled no punches about her own behaviour.
“On reflection, I realise my reaction when Laide Bakare’s name was mentioned during my recent interview could have come across as dismissive, and for that, I sincerely apologise,” she wrote.
Addressing Bakare directly, she added: “Laide, whatever our differences, I choose peace and I genuinely wish you well.”
The statement went further, framing the apology as part of a broader personal journey. “We’re all growing, learning and becoming better versions of ourselves. Sometimes maturity is simply knowing when to let go and move forward,” she stated.
She concluded with an appeal that carried the weight of everything unsaid between them: “Joo maa binu. No negativity. No grudges. Let love lead and peace reigns.” The Yoruba phrase, which roughly translates as “please don’t be angry,” landed as the most human line in the whole statement, a direct plea from one woman to another.
The tone of the apology was notably different from the defiance that has characterised earlier chapters of this feud. There was no blame-shifting, no whataboutism, no attempt to relitigate old grievances. It read, instead, like a woman who had watched the clip of herself and decided she did not like what she saw.
A Feud Years in the Making
To understand why a hiss could generate so much outrage, you have to understand the history behind it. The tension between Eniola Badmus and Laide Bakare is not new; it is one of Nollywood’s most documented rivalries, with roots that stretch back years and have repeatedly played out in public.
One of the most widely reported flashpoints came in March 2024, when Badmus appeared to mock Bakare’s outfit at the latter’s book launch. Bakare had attended her own event in a white outfit with an orange cape, a look that generated mixed reactions online. Badmus then took to Instagram with a post that was widely interpreted as a swipe at her colleague: “Ewo ninu yin lo wo Aso Pastor Ajidara. Abeg who??” The remark, which mocked the outfit as resembling a pastor’s wife’s clothing, was seen by many as a direct and unnecessary attack.
Bakare, for her part, expressed disappointment at the time, questioning why a colleague she considered a childhood friend from their University of Ibadan days would criticise her instead of celebrating her achievement. That detail, that the two women were once close, that they shared classrooms and dreams before fame complicated everything, has always been the saddest part of the story.
Beyond that incident, the relationship has been marked by exchanges on social media and tense encounters at public events. Each new episode added another layer to a feud that, to outside observers, seemed to have no clear cause and no obvious end.
Who Are Eniola Badmus and Laide Bakare?
Both women are heavyweights in their own right, which is partly why their feud has commanded so much attention.
Eniola Badmus, born on September 7, 1983, is one of Nollywood’s most recognisable faces. She rose to prominence with her role in the 2008 film Black Val and became a household name through her performance in Gbogbo Big Girls, among many other productions. Over a career spanning nearly two decades, she has built a reputation as a formidable comic and dramatic talent, with a screen presence that is impossible to ignore.
In recent years, Badmus has also reinvented herself off-screen. In 2023, she was appointed as Special Assistant on Social Events and Public Hearings to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, a political role that signalled her growing influence beyond entertainment. She is also a vocal supporter of President Bola Tinubu, a stance that has made her a polarising figure in some circles but has cemented her status as a power player in Nigerian public life.
Laide Bakare, meanwhile, has carved out her own formidable lane. The actress, known for films such as Jejere, has built a career as both a performer and a producer, running her own outfit, Simline Entertainment. She is a fixture of the Yoruba movie industry and has maintained a loyal fanbase through years of consistent work.
That both women are University of Ibadan products, that they came up through the same corridors and entered the same industry, makes their estrangement all the more poignant. Feuds between rivals are common in entertainment; feuds between former friends are the ones that sting.
Reactions: Fans Divided, Industry Watching
The apology has split opinion online. Many fans praised Badmus for her maturity, arguing that it takes courage to publicly own a mistake in an industry where image is everything. Comments under her Instagram post were filled with messages of support, with followers commending her for choosing peace and wishing the two women well.
Others were less forgiving. Some pointed to the pattern of past incidents and questioned whether the apology was motivated by genuine remorse or by damage control after the backlash. In the court of public opinion, sincerity is always on trial, and Badmus will have to live with the sceptics for a while.
Within the industry, the response has been quieter but no less significant. Nollywood is a small world, and public feuds between major stars create awkwardness at premieres, award shows and productions. An end to this one would be welcomed by many who have watched it simmer for years.
Developing: Has Laide Bakare Rejected the Apology?
In a twist that could complicate the reconciliation narrative, one smaller entertainment outlet reported on Wednesday that Laide Bakare had rejected Badmus’s apology, describing it as “fake.” NaijaCeleb Gist has not independently verified this claim, and as of press time, no major newspaper had confirmed that Bakare had issued any public response to the apology.
Readers should treat that report with caution. If Bakare has indeed responded, it would mark a significant development in the story, and we will update this article as soon as a verified statement from her emerges. Until then, the last confirmed word on the matter remains Badmus’s apology and her call for peace.
What Happens Next?
The ball, as they say, is now in Laide Bakare’s court. An apology is only half of a reconciliation; the other half requires acceptance, or at least acknowledgment. Whether Bakare responds publicly, privately, or not at all will determine whether this story becomes a heartwarming tale of forgiveness or just another chapter in a feud that refuses to die.
What is clear is that Eniola Badmus has made her move. She has owned the moment, named her mistake, and extended an olive branch in language that was plain, direct and free of the spin that usually surrounds celebrity apologies. “No negativity. No grudges. Let love lead and peace reigns.”
For two women who once shared lecture halls at the University of Ibadan, that might be enough to start over. Nollywood, and the millions of fans who have followed this saga, will be watching.
The coming days will reveal whether this olive branch is accepted, or whether the silence that follows speaks louder than the apology itself. Source: Vanguard News, Punch Newspapers, The Eagle Online, The Naija Wide, Green White Green (gwg.ng), QNC News, IntelNewsNG.