Mofe Duncan
Nollywood actor, Mofe Duncan, has shared his experiences of body-shaming and professional setbacks due to his weight during the early stages of his career.
Reflecting on these challenges, Duncan revealed that some producers even blacklisted him because of his size.
In an Instagram post, Duncan addressed a troll who claimed he wasn’t handsome because of his weight. He disclosed that he suffered a severe back injury while attempting to lose weight to meet industry expectations.
“So this guy @iamadeogooluwayimika said I’m not allowed on the most handsome men in Nigeria list because I’m big. Lol!” Duncan wrote. “So comments like these brush off me like a leaf falling from a tree, zero impact. Zero damage.”
Duncan continued, “I’m a big guy, yes. I’ve been big for the past 10 years, yes. Did I have a severe back injury whilst in the gym trying to look how people wanted me to look? Absolutely. I’ve been trolled and even had producers not want to work with me after calling me ‘fat’. Did it affect me years ago? Yes. Does it affect me now? Never.”
Despite the challenges, Mofe Duncan emphasised that these negative experiences no longer affect his self-esteem or career.
He noted that his body of work speaks for his talent, and his personality and health remain unaffected. “The thing is… this post ain’t for me or about me,” he added. “It’s for others like me who get body-shamed or called ‘unpretty’ because they’re larger than their peers.”