Entertainment
Why Most Nollywood Actresses Abuse Alcohol, Drugs
It is no longer news that over 80 per cent of Nollywood actresses smoke cigarettes, drink heavily, while a great number use hard drugs, but what people have not really come to understand are the reasons behind such attitude. Varying from one person to another, there are different reasons why Nollywod actresses indulge in these vices.
After an intense investigation, The Tide entertainment arrived at some of the reasons why actresses do it. One of them is friendship or clique. For those actresses who joined the industry before they kicked off as heavy drinkers of alcohol, smokers and drug users, they simply flowed with the wind of the industry they found themselves. To master their environment, they start making friends with other actresses and hanging out with them. Eventually, they work themselves into the habitual atmosphere to really fit into such cliques.
Interpretation of movie roles: This is another area that has actually stood as a trap to lots of actresses in being professional about their careers. Actresses are faced with a situation whereby movie roles require drinking heavily, puffing cigars and the dramatisation of the use of hard drugs. Actresses who do not smoke in real life face the challenge of smoking to interprete such roles.
As gathered from reliable sources, once the first job is well handled, debased movie roles will start flying to the door posts of these actresses and there is the tendency that they would continue proving their professionalism to the detriment of their former habits. A study on human behaviors and the nature of the brain showcased that such a person would gradually get addicted to the nicotinic content of tobacco and will continuously have the brain urge to use it afterwards.
Another factor is loneliness. There are certain prices that top actresses have paid for stardom and one of them is loneliness. Once an artiste hits stardom, he or she tends to be withdrawn from people and start missing the kind of places, food, and friends they used to keep in the past. To overcome loneliness those who find themselves in big and posh apartments make the bottle their companion. They use this to brighten up their brain and accept their environment the way it is, rather than thinking and looking for friends who might be hard to find. Being so bored, such people become curious and taste drugs to see now they will feel.
Heart break: Over 40 per cent of cases of tobacco usage among actresses are related to emotional problems and failures in relationships. A source revealed that such beautiful ladies who go inducted into the world of tobacco after a shattered relationship consider it as a way of getting solace and comfort. Actresses in this category feel the drugs will make them feel better in their unhappy mood.
Some of the actresses see the habit as an adventure just to know how it feels to indulge in them. Our source informed that 20 per cent of the actresses who drink vodka and Hennessy from the bottle and smoke tobacco, started with a sip to know the taste of alcohol and a drug to know the taste of tobacco. From the first choke and cough, they progress to excessive drinking and a gate way to other forms of drugs to get the same effect they got when they started.
While others are involved in the habit to ease-off, these actresses have the misconception that the use of drugs will make them have more sound sleep after the stress and pressures of movie locations. Among these actresses are Halima Abubakar, Rita Dominic and Tonto Dike who confessed recently that she had quit smoking and drinking.
Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes becomes Nollywood’s highest-grossing film of 2025, earning ?1.77bn in under four weeks.
Multi-award-winning actress and producer Funke Akindele has done it again, and this time, the numbers speak louder than applause.
Her latest film, Behind The Scenes, has officially emerged as the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2025, pulling in an astonishing ?1.767 billion in less than four weeks.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Funke Akindele Makes Box Office History as Behind The Scenes Crosses ?1.77bn
Earlier in its release cycle, the film’s distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, revealed that Behind The Scenes smashed five opening-weekend records, including the highest single-day gross ever recorded on Boxing Day, with ?129.5 million in one day. That announcement already hinted that something unusual was unfolding.
Reacting to the milestone, FilmOne described the moment as both surreal and communal, crediting audience loyalty for pushing the film to the top spot once again as the number-one movie of the weekend. And that sentiment feels accurate. This wasn’t just ticket sales; it was momentum.
What makes this achievement even more striking is that Behind The Scenes is Funke Akindele’s third film to cross the ?1 billion mark. Before now, there was A Tribe Called Judah, and then Everybody Loves Jenifa, a film that didn’t just open big, but went on to become the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time. At this point, it’s no longer a fluke. It’s a pattern.
Part of Behind The Scenes’ success lies in strategy. The film enjoyed advanced screenings on December 10 and 11, quietly building curiosity and conversation before its nationwide release on December 12. By the time it officially hit cinemas, audiences already felt like they needed to see it.
Then there’s the cast. The film brings together a lineup that feels deliberately stacked: Scarlet Gomez, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, Uche Montana, and several others. Familiar faces, strong fan bases, and performances that kept word-of-mouth alive long after opening weekend.
Still, beyond timing and casting, there’s something else at work here. Funke Akindele understands Nigerian audiences. Their humour, their pacing, their emotional buttons. She doesn’t guess, she calculates, experiments, listens, and refines. That understanding has slowly turned into box-office dominance.
Behind The Scenes crossing ?1.77 billion isn’t just another headline; it’s confirmation. Funke Akindele has moved from being a successful actress to becoming one of the most reliable commercial forces Nollywood has ever produced. Three-billion-naira films don’t happen by luck. They happen when storytelling, business sense, and audience trust align.
And right now, that alignment seems firmly in her hands.
Popular Nigerian music stars, Adekunle Kosoko, widely known as Adekunle Gold, and his wife, Simi, have become parents again this time to twins.
The award-winning singer shared the joyful update on his Snapchat story on Wednesday, confirming the expansion of their family.
“Asked God for another child and he blessed me double,” she wrote.
While the couple has not yet disclosed the gender of the newborns, the announcement has sparked an outpouring of warm wishes from admirers, fellow celebrities, and industry colleagues.
Speculation had intensified in December when Simi posted a video on Instagram accompanied by the caption, “From my baby, for my babies.”
The clip showed her with a growing baby bump, fueling anticipation that another child was on the way.
Their latest blessings arrive just weeks after Simi highlighted a scene from Adekunle Gold’s newly released music video, “My Love is the Same,” further stirring excitement among fans.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Adekunle Gold and Simi who tied the knot in 2019 after a long history of friendship and musical synergy remain one of Nigeria’s most admired entertainment power couples. Both artistes were once signed to X3M Music before soaring into mainstream acclaim.
The pair welcomed their first child, Adejare Kosoko, fondly called Deja, in May 2020.
After closing out 2025 with the release of “Praise the Lord” featuring Magnito, Jesse Flames enters the new year with renewed clarity and purpose, continuing to build a body of work rooted in intention rather than noise. In a moment where Afrobeats is moving faster and louder than ever, his approach remains measured and deliberate, prioritizing meaning, craft, and longevity over momentary attention. The official music video arrives January 10.
Following the momentum of his breakout single “FLEX,” “Praise the Lord” represents a shift from celebration to grounding. Reflective and soulful, the record centers gratitude, growth, and perspective, capturing a quieter confidence that resonates beyond a single moment.
“This song is about recognizing the full picture,” Jesse shares. “The work people see and the work they don’t. The lessons, the setbacks, the growth.”
The collaboration with Magnito, a respected voice in Nigerian hip hop known for his sharp lyricism and cultural authenticity, adds depth and weight to the record, reinforcing its themes of resilience, faith, and self reflection.
Released in December at the height of Detty December, “Praise the Lord” became a natural soundtrack for both celebration and reflection as the year came to a close. With the video arriving in January, the record takes on new meaning, opening the year as a tone setter rather than a reset.
Born in the United States, raised in Festac, Lagos, and now based in London, Jesse Flames brings a global perspective to his sound, blending Afrobeats, hip hop, and melodic soul into something sleek and intentional. His music reflects lived experience and cultural nuance rather than trend chasing.
The Tide Entertainment reports that with over 11 million streams, performances at O2 Brixton Academy and OVO Arena Wembley, and coverage from The Guardian and Business Post Nigeria, Jesse’s rise has been steady and self made. Looking ahead to 2026 and 2027, he is preparing for collaborations with Ice Prince, M.I Abaga, and Smurlee.
“Praise the Lord” ft. Magnito is available now on all streaming platforms.