Nigerian teenage actress Angel Unigwe and her mother, Chef Juliet Unigwe, have broken their silence following actor Anayo Modestus Onyekwere aka Kanayo O. Kanayo’s online rant.
Kanayo O Kanayo had earlier called out the teen actress for
not fulfilling a contract she signed with him for a production she got hired
for.
He also claimed Unigwe’s mum is known for breaching acting
contracts by prematurely taking her daughter away from sets.
An irate Kanayo, in a monologue, threatened to disrupt any
movie production involving the Unigwe as a result.
He cited a set where the teen actress was taken away at 9 pm
when the set was contractually meant to close at midnight.
Kanayo said his decision to disrupt film productions
involving Unigwe is to “save and protect” Nigeria’s film industry.
But in a statement, Juliet Kings, Unigwe’s manager, said
Kanayo’s allegations of contract breach are “false and slanderous”.
The manager clarified that the actress left the set after
performing her duty as her agreement with the filmmaker was for a 9 pm wrap-up.
“First, we wish to state categorically and for the public
record that, as professionals, we hold sacred the terms of any contract we
enter into and we are fully committed to performing all lawful obligations
required of us under such contracts and as such,” the manager said.
“We vehemently deny the false accusations and slanderous
statements contained in Mr. Kanayo’s video. We want to assure the public that
we have done no such thing and are deeply hurt by these unfounded allegations.
“Between the 17th of June 2024 and the 19th of June 2024,
Miss Unigwe participated in a film project under clear and agreed terms, most
important of all being a daily wrap time of 9 pm.
“Despite our concerns about the feasibility of filming 57
scenes in 3 days, we proceeded based on the assurances we received from [him]
and his director Ndifreke Matthew that the three-day period would be sufficient
for shooting.
“[We agreed] that the talent’s shooting time of 12 hours
starting from 9 am to 9 pm is acceptable to them. Moreso, there will be no
extension considering her prior engagement.
“On the final day, despite the agreed terms regarding the
wrap-up time of 9 pm, we accommodated an additional 45-50 minutes of filming
beyond the agreed time out of the spirit of goodwill and understanding that had
existed between us, Mr. Kanayo, and the film director.
“Upon completion of the shoot, we left the location without
protest from the director or the production manager Cosmos Nwaihe, having
performed our obligations.”
Kings said Kanayo’s claims amount to “cyberbullying” and
“gender-based oppression” that have caused the actress “emotional distress”.
Stating that legal action has been taken, the manager called
on security agencies to intervene in the matter and guarantee Unigwe’s safety.