“My inner circle almost drove me into bleaching my skin” — Linda Osifo

Nollywood actress Linda Osifo has opened up about her past contemplation of skin bleaching, citing racial slurs as the catalyst for this consideration.

Linda Osifo, known for her dark complexion, shared this deeply personal experience during an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo.

Osifo, who was born in Nigeria and moved to Canada at the age of 16, disclosed that she faced racial discrimination that left her traumatized.

She disclosed the challenging ordeal she had to deal with as a result of derogatory comments from those within her social circles.

During the interview, Chude Jideonwo inquired about the actress’s past struggles, saying,

“You talked about wanting to bleach your skin because when you grow up people would call me a monkey. Did this literally happen?”

To which Osifo responded,

“Yeah. It happens absolutely. And it happens from your shade too, you know. So, that’s why it’s even more of a weird thing. I always feel that those who get bullied, don’t get bullied by outsiders.

“It’s from within. Because if somebody else says it, you may not care but if somebody who is around you, who you are always kinda seeing every other day says it, it hurts more. This was when I was a teenager in Canada.”

Osifo went on to highlight the positive impact of relocating to Nigeria, where she found a supportive community of individuals who shared her skin tone.