Aremu Afolayan, an actor and filmmaker, has slammed at the critics who have tagged him a gigolo.
In an interview with Scoop Sunday, the actor, who is a brother to Kunle Afolayan, a Nollywood producer, said if his critics got the exposure and opportunity, they had been a gigolo.
He said being in a relationship with an older person does not mean he gets financial benefit from it.
Afolayan said, “That is an old gist, and I really don’t want to talk about it. But, even if I am doing that, it is nobody’s business. I am
sure (the people talking, would) also want to do that (if they had the opportunity).
“I am a businessman, and you can actually refer to me as a prostitute in business. I sell cars, clothes, wrist watches, and many other things. Dating someone older than one is different from someone older paying one’s bills. I don’t think there is anything wrong in dating or marrying someone older than one.”
He also debunked assumptions that Nollywood actresses engage in prostitution or sex for roles.
On why actresses seemed to fare better than actors in the industry, Afolayan said, “Most people have a side business. Even many Hollywood celebrities have side businesses. One problem, though, is that some people live up to certain expectations that nobody is even asking them to in the first place.
“But ordinarily, both male and female actors should be making so much money that they should be the one sponsoring politicians, and not the other way round.”