Actress Juliana Olayode aka Toyo Baby has reunited with filmmaker Funke Akindele for the latter new film A Tribe Called Judah, six years after her controversial exit from Funke’s hit series Jenifa’s Dairy.
Juliana announced her return to Funke’s Scene One TV family in an Instagram post on Monday, alongside a trailer of the new film.
The actress who plays the character described her mentor as “The Box Office Queen”.
She wrote: “Meet the characters in A TRIBE CALLED JUDAH!! #atribecalledjudah is coming to the cinemas on the 15th of December!! Get ready!!!
“The box office QUEEN is at it again, my mama don’t play @funkejenifaakindele.”
In 2017, news broke that Juliana, who played the role of Toyosi in Jenifa’s Diary, had been dropped over alleged monetary issues.
That led to her exit from the show and a strained relationship with Funke.
The 27-year-old, however, said in a lengthy apology post via Instagram in May 2023 that she hurt Funke, whom she said was a miracle God used to bring her to the limelight, due to her little knowledge of how the movie industry works.
She said her guardian sent Funke an unsolicited email which ruined their relationship afterwards.
“God used Aunty Funke Akindele @funkejenifaakindele to put me into the limelight. It was a shocker for me, especially at that tender age, when I had barely left secondary school, the kind of fame I earned from playing Toyosi in Jenifa’s Diary was too enormous for my understanding.
My guardian ruined relationship with Funke Akindele – Juliana Olayode
Funke Akindele reacts to Juliana Olayode’s public apology
“However, the lack of industry nitty gritty started manifesting in me, coupled with the fact that I had a guardian (manager) who didn’t understand how the entertainment industry works, and I believed anything he feels and says.
“My guardian sent an email to Scene One TV, the producers of the Sitcom, which entire content I wasn’t aware of until recently.
“The story of my goofs at the take-off of my career cannot be exhausted in a million words, I want to use this opportunity to apologize to Aunty Funke Akindele, ọmọdé ò lè mọ ẹ̀kọ́ jẹ, kó má ra lọ́wọ́, I am incredibly sorry for how I hurt you and how the email that was sent hurt you,” she wrote.
Juliana, also hinted at the end of her post that she might be back on the sitcom.
A number of celebrities including Faithia Williams, Mo Bimpe, and Toyin Adewale have also dropped comments.
“Aunty Funke thank you.. Allah will continue to bless you and yours,” Faithia wrote.
Mo Bimpe said she was proud of Juliana.
