My Husb Died When Nollywood Banned Me, RMD,Genevieve,Omotola & Said We Were Too Expensive-Damasus

Veteran Nollywood actress Stella Damasus has opened up about one of the most challenging periods of her life, revealing how the sudden death of her first husband, Jaiye Aboderin, coincided with professional setbacks in her acting career, leaving her grappling with both personal and financial difficulties.

In an interview with Nollywood actor Temisan Emmanuel on the Tea With Tay podcast, Damasus recounted the struggle of navigating life after losing her husband while simultaneously facing restrictions in the industry. She said that following Jaiye’s death, she felt completely lost and had to find ways to support her children and secure their future.

Damasus explained that her husband died during a controversial period in Nollywood when she, along with other top actors such as Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD), Genevieve Nnaji, and Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, were reportedly banned from major acting projects. The ban, she said, was implemented on the grounds that they had become “too big and too expensive” for producers at the time.

“I was trying to build a career that would have died because that was during the time that they did that ban, that was when my husband died. When they banned ten of us: me and RMD, Genevieve, Omotola. They said we became too big and too expensive. That was the period that that happened,” Damasus revealed, emphasizing the simultaneous personal and professional challenges she faced.

The actress described the experience as a particularly difficult phase, where grief over her husband’s sudden death was compounded by the inability to secure acting roles. Raising children as a single mother during this period of career uncertainty intensified the pressure and tested her resilience.

Despite these setbacks, Damasus insisted that she remained committed to her craft. She explained that while the ban temporarily limited opportunities, it did not diminish her determination or passion for acting. Her perseverance, combined with her talent, eventually allowed her to navigate the obstacles, reclaim her career, and continue her rise as one of Nollywood’s most respected actresses.

Reflecting on that time, Damasus noted that the experience taught her valuable lessons about the unpredictability of life and the importance of resilience. “It was a period of learning how to survive, how to stay strong, and how to keep believing in yourself even when the world seems to be against you,” she said…..See More