Renowned Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe shares how she nearly departed from the Nigerian film industry due to experiences of sexual harassment. She made this known during a recent interview on ‘Your View,’ a talk show on TVC hosted by Morayo Afolabi-Brown.
Mercy Aigbe recounted an incident where a producer made inappropriate sexual advances towards her after a movie audition, despite having secured a role in an upcoming film. The single mother emphasized how she had just quit a well-paying job at the time for the movie role, and unknown to her the sexual harassment awaiting her in her first shot at acting. “I met a producer in Surulere, and I expressed to him how much I would love to act. He told me he had an upcoming film and invited me to his office for an audition in his office. ”After I had passed three stages of the audition, I was given a minor role, which I told him that was not the character I was auditioning for, and he replied that the director said he did not know me, and that was why he wanted me to be close to him,” she said. Mercy added, “He then stood up to touch me. I was very upset and I thought if that was what it took to be an actress, I don’t want to be an actress anymore. I tore the script and left; I cried on my way going home because I left a well paying job to join Nollywood, and I was already a single mother at the time.”
Mason Mount getting harassed for an autograph. Source: TikTok video “Professional autograph hunters are regularly pressuring United’s players to sign large quantities of items that they then sell for hundreds of pounds. It has become an every day occurrence and a major problem at Carrington. “These organised groups will block players’ cars and harass them as they arrive and leave their workplace. It is becoming really dangerous and you have to worry that it is only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. “It also means that young fans, who just want to interact with their heroes, often miss out because players can’t stop to take pictures with them without having to engage with the groups. Mason Mount tells Man United fans to stop following him around after asking for a signed shirt for the last 3 days… pic.twitter.com/97C2t7WMOt — george (@StokeyyG2) July 14, 2023 “It’s a real frustration for everyone, security staff are in regular dialogue with the players around how to stop the problem. Action will definitely start to be taken if it continues to persist.” Mount joined the Red Devils from Chelsea for an initial £60m earlier in July and he made his debut in their pre-season win against Leeds United in Oslo on Wednesday, July 12. 
