- Nollywood actor Itele has spoken about his decision to step into the controversy surrounding colleague Irewole Olaniyan
- The actor addressed why he cautioned his wife after she publicly shaded Irewole over the married man scandal
- Itele also clarified the state of his marriage following the public back-and-forth between his wife and the embattled actress
Nollywood actor Ibrahim Yekini, popularly known as Itele, has broken his silence on why he chose to defend actress Irewole Olaniyan and urged his wife to step back from the ongoing social media drama surrounding her colleague.
In an interview published on the African A-List YouTube channel on October 23, 2026, Itele explained that Irewole regards him as a boss figure, even though he has no formal authority over her career.
Source: Instagram
That sense of mutual respect, he said, was at the heart of his decision to speak out.
"A name isn't easy to get. If I see someone who is great, I pray they don't fall," he said, adding that his years in the industry have shown him just how difficult it is to build a reputation in Nollywood.
On the post he made cautioning his wife, Itele was quick to clarify that the gesture was more playful than confrontational.
He said he deleted the message almost immediately after posting it, describing the whole thing as a lighthearted exchange between the two of them rather than a public rebuke.
"Because a name isn't easy to build, I intervened as if it were a joke. I told my wife it is high time we left the matter. I said, 'If you stop, I'll do this for you'. Immediately, I posted it; I deleted it. My wife is still my wife, and our bond of love is very strong," he said.
Source: Instagram
The backdrop to all of this is a scandal that has trailed Irewole Olaniyan for weeks.
A woman identified as Mary publicly accused the actress of carrying on a romantic relationship with her husband for roughly three years, alleging that he funded Irewole's film projects, travels, and expensive purchases throughout that period.
Mary claimed she had reached out to Irewole privately before going public, but was told the actress had no knowledge of the man's marital status.
Irewole later acknowledged that something had happened between them but insisted she ended things the moment she discovered he was married.
She also claimed the man continued to pursue contact with her even after that.
Mary dismissed the explanation as damage control.
When Itele's wife entered the conversation with a video taking aim at Irewole and those defending her, the backlash was swift.
She eventually took the video down, though she maintained in a follow-up post that her husband's feelings, not public pressure, had prompted her to do so.
Watch Itele D Icon speak about his wife and social media clash in the YouTube video below:
Itele D Icon celebrates Koleoso’s 100m views
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nollywood actor Itele announced that his movie Koleoso had surpassed 100 million YouTube views.
He described the milestone as a historic achievement for Nollywood, Africa and Yoruba culture while crediting his team, family and fans for the film’s success.
Several Nollywood stars, including Femi Adebayo, Toyin Abraham, Eniola Ajao and Destiny Etiko, congratulated Itele on the record.
Source: Legit.ng