Nollywood actress Bolaji Ogunmola has firmly dismissed rumours of a romantic relationship with co-star Daniel Etim-Effiong, insisting their on-screen chemistry in her new film is strictly professional.
In her latest YouTube movie In The Bloom After, released on February 6, Ogunmola stars as Inara, a woman who, after 20 years of marriage, is abandoned by her cheating husband and embarks on a journey of self-rediscovery and dating. Etim-Effiong plays Nachi, one of the men she connects with, leading to several intimate scenes including kisses that have sparked speculation among some viewers.
An X user questioned the kisses, writing: “To be honest, you and Daniel kissing movies is too much and it’s looking like you guys are an item. Why didn’t you kiss the 1st guy ‘Anthony’ in your new movie. Remember, that was how Yul and Judy started. Feelings can develop. You guys should tune it down.”
Ogunmola responded sharply, defending the film’s core message of self-love and empowerment while rejecting any suggestion of off-screen romance.
“You are an absolute retard!! You watched to tweet stupidity and it shows. What is the entire film about you nitwit!! you want to reduce my entire work to kissing. You are an absolute fool and all of you thinking like that. What foolish item, We don’t even talk outside of work!” she wrote.
The actress emphasized that she and Etim-Effiong maintain a strictly professional relationship and “don’t even talk outside of work.”
She further revealed that she might quit social media altogether and employ the services of a social media manager to handle.
She wrote, “It’s like I’ll get a social media manager and just stop using these apps. So I can focus on what really matters.., The work!!! All these opinions and comments.. we are human beings as well.”
Since its release, In The Bloom After has garnered over 1.5 million views. Ogunmola and Effiong have acted a good number of movies together.
Etim Effiong is married to personal branding expert, Toyosi Etim-Effiong.