How lack of Movie Roles Forced Me to Bleach My Skin, Says Actress Habibat Jinadu

By Segun Adebayo

Nollywood actress Habibat Jinadu has opened up about the painful decisions she made to secure acting opportunities, revealing that pressure to meet the physical appearance preferred in the movie industry pushed her into bleaching her skin.

The actress made the revelation during an interview with BBC Yoruba monitored by Per Second News (PSN), where she recounted how her dark complexion and slim body allegedly became obstacles to getting movie roles early in her acting career.

According to Jinadu, actresses who were dark-skinned or slim struggled to attract the attention of filmmakers, leaving her convinced that changing her appearance was necessary to advance her career.

She said: “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.”

Jinadu explained that after experiencing difficulties securing acting opportunities, she eventually decided to lighten her complexion, hoping the decision would improve her chances of being considered for movie productions.

She said the decision appeared to produce the results she had hoped for, as she began receiving more acting opportunities after changing her skin colour.

“So, I went ahead, bleached my skin and started expecting to get roles. And indeed, I started getting roles,” she disclosed.

However, the actress revealed that the transformation came with unexpected consequences, particularly when she appeared in public, as people who previously knew her struggled to recognise her because of her changed complexion.

Recounting her experience, she said, “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.”

Despite the increased opportunities, Jinadu admitted that she was never comfortable with the decision but continued the practice because she was determined to establish herself in the competitive movie industry.

“I was not happy with it, but I kept on pushing,” she said.

The actress further disclosed that she began experiencing physical complications while working on movie sets, explaining that even minor bruises could result in injuries and tears on her skin.

“Then, I started sustaining injuries and tears from minor bruises on sets and all,” she recounted.

According to her, the situation became more apparent in 2023 when she became pregnant, a development that forced her to discontinue skin bleaching.

“It all dawned on me when I got pregnant in 2023. And when you are pregnant, you cannot bleach your skin,” Jinadu said.

She explained that stopping the practice did not immediately bring relief, as the return of her natural complexion attracted negative reactions and insults from people who had become accustomed to her lighter appearance.

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