Actress Jaiye Kuti has moved to clear the air after her recent remarks about the cinema screening schedule of her movie, Jaiye Monje The Anniversary, sparked controversy online.
The actress had expressed dissatisfaction on Instagram after noticing that her film was being allocated what she considered unfavourable showtimes despite only recently arriving in cinemas.
“AJOSEPOWA tifebaje !!! I’m just a week old at the cinemas, and I’m already out of showtime? Hmmm 🤔 Please, who comes to the cinema at this time of the day to watch movies? #cinemaowners”.
The post quickly generated reactions, with some social media users linking her use of the word “Ajosepo” to Ajosepo 2: The Gathering, the latest film from actress and producer Bolaji Ogunmola.
However, Jaiye insisted that the interpretation was incorrect, explaining that her statement was never intended as a reference to the movie.
“I wrote in my language Yoruba AJOSEPO which could mean many things, what I meant was our collaboration with cinemas, yet some people twisted it to mean a movie”.
According to her, the message was solely directed at cinema operators and reflected her concerns about the timing given to her film, not a criticism of any fellow filmmaker.
The clarification comes amid ongoing discussions surrounding Ajosepo 2: The Gathering, with Bolaji Ogunmola recently rejecting accusations that the film was being favoured by cinemas or affecting the visibility of other productions. She maintained that her focus remains on promoting her project and supporting the growth of the industry.
