Eyiyemi Afolayan Responds to 'No Talent, Only Surname' Lashings Against Her

It is not news to anybody that trying to break into the entertainment industry is a very difficult task. As an actor, hustling through auditions, and trying to get somebody to take a chance on you is something that for many has taken years, even to get on low-budget productions. Getting into a massive Nollywood project like Anikulapo doesn't happen overnight, and if you look through the cast, you'll see that most of the names are people who have been hustling in this industry for a long time.

Because of this, Kunle Afolayan's daughter, Eyiyemi, has gotten some heat online because people feel like she "jumped the line" and quickly got cast in her dad's production, simply out of nepotism. Reactions to her work in the show have been mixed with some people loving it while others have gone as far as saying that it's not talent, but surname that gave her the role.

Eyiyemi is now addressing these talks, which she expected even before entering the industry. Here's what she said.

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Speaking about her dad's influence on her career, and responding to the "no talent" talk and those saying she's only gotten where she is now because of him, Eyiyemi said:

EYIYEMI AFOLAYAN: I look up to my dad a lot. Since I was a child, he's always shown us the way. I've watched my grandpa's movies and I can see that there is definitely a development from the way my grandpa used to make his movies to the way my dad makes his movies, and I know that in few years to come, I'm going to be a very big filmmaker myself, and I'm going to do better by God's grace.

You guys are going to see more of me. I'm going to continue to showcase my God-given talents. I'm going to do more. I'm going to impact young ladies, my generation, people my age that feel like okay I want to be like her but how will I go about it? Okay, it's because she has her daddy's influence? Yes! Yes, I do. But you can't dispute the fact that I know what I am doing. If I didn't do well in the first Anikulapo, people would have said "omo this girl, she doesn't know how to act". I'm really grateful to my dad for putting me in Anikulapo. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. I'm glad I killed my role cuz I KNOW I killed my role.

What do you think about what Eyiyemi said? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment either below or on my Jide Okonjo Facebook post.

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