I bleached my skin to get movie roles — Nollywood actress Habibat Jinadu

By Enitan Abdultawab Nollywood actress Habibat Jinadu has revealed that she bleached her skin to secure acting roles, saying dark-skinned and slim actresses struggle to get opportunities in the film industry. Jinadu made this known in an interview with BBC Yoruba, where she recounted how pressure to meet the industry’s preferred physical appearance influenced her decision to bleach her skin.

“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,” the actress said. Explaining how she responded to the situation, Jinadu said she decided to bleach her skin and wait for the acting opportunities she believed would follow. “So, I went ahead, bleached my skin and started expecting to get roles.

And indeed, I started getting roles,” she said. However, the actress disclosed that the change in her complexion made it difficult for people to recognise her outside the screen, despite her growing acting opportunities. “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,’ and all sorts,” she recounted.

Jinadu said she was unhappy with the experience but continued bleaching her skin as she tried to establish herself in the industry. “I was not happy with it, but I kept on pushing,” she said. The actress also revealed that she began experiencing injuries and skin tears from minor bruises while working on movie sets. “Then, I started sustaining injuries and tears from minor bruises on sets and all,” she said.

According to Jinadu, the reality of her situation became clearer in 2023 when she became pregnant and had to stop bleaching her skin. “It all dawned on me when I got pregnant in 2023. And when you are pregnant, you cannot bleach your skin,” she said. She explained that stopping the practice brought another challenge, as people began criticising her appearance after her complexion changed.

“When I eventually stopped, people started abusing me and calling me all sorts of names,” she said.