'The allegation is false' - Adunni Ade on rumors that she owes late Murphy Afolabi N250K

Nollywood actress, Adunni Ade has finally reacted to rumors that she owes her late colleague and director Murphy Afolabi, the sum of N250, 000.

Recall that Murphy Afolabi’s burial committee had on Monday, in a trending video, during the 8-day Fidau Prayer held in honor of the late actor in Lagos, called out Adunni for the refund of the money she owed the actor before his death.

In the now-viral video, the committee said: “Adunni Ade please return the N250,000 that you are owing Late Murphy Afolabi.”

In her reaction, Ade debunked the rumors that she is indebted to the late actor. She made this known in a statement through her management.

The statement read: “On behalf of popular Nollywood Actor and Content Creator, the unassuming Adunni Adewale, we write to set the record straight regarding a clip making the rounds in which our she was called out by a Muslim Cleric with claims of her owing the late Murphy Afolabi. The allegation is false.

“Sometimes in July 2021, the late Mr. Murphy Afolabi reached out to me, requiring my services for a movie production. He appealed to me stating that it was a self funded production that he couldn’t afford my professional fee, but that he would need my moral support. I asked how many scenes and duration were expected of me on set. He said 10 scenes and that I would spend one day. He offered to fuel my car as an honorarium, which payment of N150,000 was made on 2nd of July 2021.

“Unfortunately, shortly before the commencement of the production, on 11 July 2021, I lost my younger brother and I contacted the actor a few days afterwards for his bank details for refund as I would be travelling to the United States for my brother’s funeral. But he insisted I hold on to the money while he figured out whether to move the shoot forward or contact me for another one.

“Mr. Murphy Afolabi contacted me on the 8 of October 2021 and said he wanted to start a new job soon and needed me to play the lead role for four days with the same amount of N150,000 which he had paid in July. And I respectfully declined and requested for his account details and refunded him the N150,000 on the same day. Proof of both payments are attached in this post.”

Murphy Afolabi died on Sunday, May 14, 2023, after falling in his bathroom and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.