Actress says she remains strong, energetic and active as she condemns social media bullying
Nollywood actress Rita Edochie has responded sharply to social media users who claimed she may be suffering from arthritis after a video of her dancing made the rounds online.
The actress, known for her outspoken personality and regular engagement with fans on social media, dismissed the speculation, questioning why her movements and active lifestyle would be interpreted as signs of an illness.
Edochie maintained that she is healthy, energetic and physically active, pointing to her recent schedule as evidence of her ability to remain on the move.
In a post shared on her Instagram page, the actress challenged those making the claims to compare her level of activity with that of their mothers.
“Can their mothers ever be as strong, active, energetic, and flexible as I am? Impossible!” she wrote.
According to Edochie, she had spent considerable time travelling, moving around and standing for several hours as part of activities connected to the promotion of her movie.
She suggested that the attention surrounding her recent activities was partly responsible for the comments, accusing some of her critics of being jealous because her name was currently attracting significant attention online.
“Your empty head could only find arthritis to talk about,” she added.
The actress also used the opportunity to condemn what she described as the growing culture of bullying on social media. She warned that persistent online attacks can have serious consequences for people's emotional and mental wellbeing, including pushing some victims into depression.
Edochie stressed that she would not allow criticism or online attacks to discourage her from using social media. She said she intended to continue sharing updates about her activities and engaging with her followers despite the negative comments.
Her response comes amid the growing tendency for celebrities' videos and personal activities to attract speculation from social media users, with seemingly harmless posts sometimes becoming the subject of health-related claims and criticism.
For Edochie, however, the episode appears to have reinforced her determination to remain active online and publicly defend herself against what she considers unfounded claims.