By Sulaymon Ruqoya
November 13th, 2024
Nigerian content creator and actress Kemi Ikuseedun, popularly known as Kemz Mama or Mummy Wa, recently shared her experiences with sexual harassment in Nollywood during an interview on the WithChude podcast with Chude Jideonwo. She recounted the unwelcome advances she faced from filmmakers while working to establish her career, explaining that she turned down these propositions as they would not genuinely help her secure the roles she wanted.
Kemz Mama revealed the pervasive nature of harassment in the industry, emphasizing that no woman is completely protected from it, regardless of her appearance. “Behind the scenes, many people are requesting things that I cannot and will not do,” she stated, questioning how far anyone should go to gain success in Nollywood. “You could even sleep with someone in the industry and still not achieve what you hoped for with the role they give you,” she added.
She also highlighted that sexual harassment affects women of all body types. “Even the slim ones who ‘don’t have anything’ still face these requests,” she remarked, asserting that harassment is an industry-wide issue.
Kemz Mama, who rose to fame in 2023 through her roles in Mr Macaroni’s popular skits, previously shared how she landed her first role in one of his sketches. Despite her early success, her story sheds light on the troubling issues faced by women in the entertainment industry.