Late Nollywood actress, Jumoke Aderounmu, famous for her role as Esther in “Jenifa’s Diary,” reportedly passed away peacefully in her sleep, countering earlier rumors of illness.
According to her younger brother Adeola, in an interview with Punch, Jumoke had aspirations to relocate to the United Kingdom before her demise, citing a dearth of acting opportunities in Nigeria.
Addressing the public criticism aimed at Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele for allegedly neglecting Jumoke during her time of need, Adeola clarified that he lacked Funke's contact details. Instead, Jumoke had reached out through fellow actress Paschaline Alex.
In his statement:
“I did not reach out to her (Funke) because I don’t have her phone number, and I am not close to her. But, my sister had her number and even sent another actress, Paschaline Alex, to her, all to no avail.
“She (Funke) stopped calling her for jobs. Jumoke tried to know why because she wanted to retrace her steps if she had committed any offense.
“She was an introvert and usually kept to herself. She was actually not sick. She just died in her sleep.”