Veteran Nollywood actor, Yemi Solade, has insisted that no actress in the Nigerian film industry can afford a luxury vehicle like a G-Wagon solely from acting income.
Speaking on the Honest Bunch podcast, as cited by Afrocover on Friday, Solade expressed doubts over the source of wealth behind some actresses’ luxury lifestyles, stressing that the current pay in Nollywood cannot sustain such purchases.
“In the industry, no actress will say that the G-Wagon that she has was bought from the proceeds she got from acting,” he said.
Responding to a question on why some actresses who are yet to make significant marks in Nollywood drive expensive cars, Solade explained that the industry accommodates people with different motives.
“People come to Nollywood for different reasons. I will continue to focus on the core professionals. Nollywood is not a house we have built for ourselves alone, so those you are referring to are tenants. Although we still have some ladies who are professionals in those same categories, but I won’t mention names, they live on what they earn from their producers,” he stated.
He further stressed, “Nobody makes a lot of money that will give you all of those luxurious cars you have mentioned. I do not know how they make so much money to buy these cars. I know what I earn.”
Solade’s remarks come amid public scrutiny of how some celebrities sustain flamboyant lifestyles despite earnings in Nollywood that appear inconsistent with such spending.
With a career spanning over three decades, Yemi Solade has featured in several Yoruba and English-language films and is regarded as one of Nollywood’s respected veterans, known for his outspoken nature.