Nollywood actress, Linda Osifo, has opened up about a challenging period in her life when she contemplated skin bleaching. Her decision was influenced by the impact of racial slurs she encountered during her time in Canada.
Linda Osifo, who originally hails from Benin City, Nigeria, relocated to Canada at the age of 16. She revealed that the racism she experienced was particularly distressing because it came from people close to her.
Linda Osifo shared this experience during a recent interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo who asked about her skin bleaching intentions.
The host, Chude, asked: “You talked about wanting to bleach your skin because when you grow up people would call me a monkey (sic). [Did] this literally happen?”
In her words;
“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. The positive aspect of moving [back] to Nigeria, was seeing more of individuals who look just like me.”