- The entertainment industry, while known for its highlights, is also a consistent source of scandals
- For the year 2024, many controversies arose involving various celebrities
- From Davido to Bobrisky, TheRadar ranked its top 10 controversies that shook the Nigerian entertainment space in 2024
Aside from its glitz and glam, the Nigerian entertainment industry has consistently been engulfed with controversies that make headlines.
From divorces to bold allegations among celebrities, the year 2024 sold many controversies that shook the entertainment industry.
Controversies are usually inevitable for entertainment celebrities, whether because of what they say, how they dress, or just being famous.
One minute, fans shower them with unending celebration, and the next, they face a turmoil of backlash for one controversy or another.
These controversies mostly escalate into full-blown scandals. Being a celebrity isn’t a day job, after all. Literally, every day, a fresh scandal breaks just as some lurk in the corner.
Considering all the controversies that erupted in the entertainment industry in 2024, TheRadar curated its top 10 that shook the industry.
Our top entertainment controversy of 2024
1. Bobrisky’s 6 months Jail term
In April, the popular crossdresser Bobrisky, also known as ‘Mummy of Lagos’, was convicted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for naira abuse.
The controversial sentence saw Bobrisky jailed for six months without an option of a fine. He was said to have sprayed the naira in different video evidence that proved he mutilated the notes.
2. Bobrisky and VeryDarkMan Saga
This is one controversy that shook the entertainment industry. Popular crossdresser Idris Okuneye, known as Bobrisky, was called out by social media activist VeryDarkMan shortly after his six-month prison term.
VeryDarkMan raised several allegations, including that Bobrisky didn’t serve his jail term. VDM also shared a voice recording in which the crossdresser detailed all that transpired.
In the leaked voice recording, Bobrisky’s voice allegedly claimed to have bribed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission N15 million to bury his money laundering cases.
From arrests to court appearances, the controversy blew up, especially because of the weight of its corruption and influential names allegedly linked to it.
3. Pastor Tobi Adegboyega’s deportation allegations
Pastor Tobi was one of the trending topics of 2024. The pastor’s controversies were fueled by his alleged deportation drama.
The pastor, who is the General Overseer of the Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church, had his church shut down. He was allegedly reported to be involved in a £1.87 million fraud.
The controversy surrounding his deportation sparked widespread discussion on social media. However, Pastor Tobi later addressed the issue, debunking the claims and urging Nigerians to take pride in him.
4. Psquare Split
For fans of the famous music duo P-Square, their hope of having their favourite singers back was finally dashed with their second split.
2024 was a rollercoaster for the twin brothers, who began throwing jabs and accusations at each other. Paul, while confirming their split, accused Peter of using the EFCC to arrest him.
He also accused Peter of stealing his song, which he wrote. The music duo's split shook the entertainment industry, and fans still wish they had made amends.
5. Egugun leaked private tape
Popular content creator Egungun's private video being leaked was one of the controversies no one saw coming. He is known for interviewing curvy girls.
Recently, his fiancée raised the alarm that someone was trying to blackmail her with his private video. She also disclosed that the video was meant to be sent to her, but someone somehow leaked it.
Eventually, the video surfaced on social media. It triggered a wave of controversy because the lady in the video was not Egungun's wife, as netizens had thought.
6. Chidimma Adetshina Saga
South African-born Nigerian model Chidimma Adetshina dominated the headlines in 2024. This led to her withdrawal from the Miss South Africa beauty pageant over her alleged identity fraud.
The model later became the first runner-up at Miss Universe 2024, setting a record for Nigeria at the prestigious pageant despite controversy.
Her story was one of the most talked-about sagas, particularly because it stirred up a social media battle between Nigerians and South Africans.
7. Davido’s controversial comment about Nigeria’s economy
Afrobeats superstar Davido was recently criticised for sharing his thoughts about the Nigerian economy. In an interview, the singer said that the economy was in shambles.
However, his stance had come as a piece of advice to people planning to return to Africa not to do so. His reasons were because of the poor state of Nigeria, where inflation is hitting hard.
The singer's comment angered many, including politicians, actors, and TV presenters, who wasted no time criticising his statement.
8. Wizkid and Davido online tussle
The lingering online tussle between Afrobeats giants Wizkid and Davido resurfaced in 2024, driving controversies in the Nigerian music industry.
Many would argue that their fans fueled their beef, but Wizkid was seen in a rare social media outburst with Davido prior to the release of his album.
Wizkid had described Davido as “talentless” and several other demeaning adjectives during the social media tussle.
9. Sharon Ooja’s husband
In June, Nollywood actress Sharon Ooja married her heartthrob, Ugo Nwoke. Shortly after their glamorous traditional wedding, rumours rose up alleging that Sharon’s husband Nwoke was a billionaire with three previous marriages, making her the fourth wife.
The rumours also alleged that Nwoke had three children. The rumours sparked conversations among netizens and alleged witnesses who claimed Nwoke was a fraud.
10. Toyin Abraham arrests Twitter influencer
Nollywood actress and producer Toyin Abraham sparked controversy across social media after she arrested a social media influencer for cyberbullying her.
The popular thespian came under heavy criticism from many Nigerians, who described her actions as oppressive.
Meanwhile, some also supported her as a stand against online harassment. Toyin Abraham, at the time, defended her actions as a fight against cyberbullying, not an abuse of power as some Nigerians accused her of.
Egungun, Tiwa Savage, 3 other celebrities with leaked private videos
Meanwhile, TheRadar reported that since the emergence of the internet, the leakage of private videos, despite its sensitivity, has gradually become the norm.
With many instances of public figures and celebrities' private videos that have gone viral on various social media platforms, TheRadar curated a list of the most controversial ones in the last two years.
