Popular Yoruba actor Adeniyi Johnson recently spoke candidly about one of the most traumatic events in his early acting career in an interview with Babaibe TV, highlighting the difficulties experienced by up-and-coming performers in Nigeria’s film business.
Johnson recounted a disturbing incident that occurred during a movie shoot at a hotel, which he describes as one of the saddest moments of his filmmaking journey. The actor explained that he was at the location for a film role when circumstances took a devastating turn.
According to Johnson, he had gone outside the hotel room and decided to rest inside a bus while waiting for his scene, seeking shelter from the rain. What happened next would become a nightmare he would not soon forget. Night guards at the location spotted him and made a shocking accusation – they claimed he had stolen a car radio.
“I was not familiar with some of my senior colleagues at the time,” Johnson explained. “I went outside and decided to sleep in a bus when it started raining. Some night guards passed by and accused me of stealing a car radio.”
The situation quickly escalated beyond belief. Johnson described being beaten severely, his face swelling from the brutal treatment. To make matters worse, he was forced to hawk in the middle of the night, adding humiliation to the physical abuse he was experiencing.
“I was beaten mercilessly and made to hawk at midnight when I was accused of stealing. The most painful part of it was that my face was swelling up, and I was told that I was no longer needed for the movie role, so I had to go home from there.”
The most devastating blow came when he was told he was no longer needed for the movie role. After enduring physical assault and public embarrassment, Johnson was dismissed from the project entirely.