Jenifa's Diary star, Julian Olayode also known as Toyo Baby, has made her stance on sex before marriage known.
Read her interview with Punch
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Background
I grew up in Ogba, Lagos, with my family. I have four elder sisters and a younger brother. Growing up was so much fun and there was never a dull moment. But I also had to do a lot of house chores because I was the last girl.
Education
I don’t want to disclose that for now for personal reasons. As a child, I had a lot of ambitions and at some point, I wanted to become a pilot. I also wanted to become a lawyer and newscaster.
Acting
While growing up, I never thought that I would become an actress even though I was a drama queen.
Jenifa’s Diary
I was on my way to church when a friend invited me for an audition. The first time I auditioned, I didn’t do it well but the judges gave me another chance. I wasn’t expecting them to get back to me but they informed me some months later that I had gotten the role. That was my first time on set and I had a lovely time acting alongside experienced thespians like Yemi Solade and Tina Mba. Working with Funke Akindele-Bell0 and playing ‘Toyosi’ in Jenifa’s Diary has been a beautiful experience. Funke is very versatile, hard-working and a disciplinarian. She always takes her time in anything she does because she always wants to come out with the best.
Challenges
The challenges I have had so far have to do with working with people who don’t share my values. Most times, I reject scripts because I cannot play some roles because of my beliefs. Already, I have acted in movies like Couple of Days, Where Does Beauty Go?, Rivers Within, Click Now, and some others.
Other interests
I like singing and I’m part of the church choir. Though I don’t have plans to release any song for now, it could happen in the future.
Fame
Nothing much has changed about me, but I’m more concerned and aware of my environment now. There are also lots of people who want to take pictures with me and they don’t understand that sometimes, I could just be very tired. However, I wouldn’t trade that for anything. It has taught me how to relate better with people whether I’m in a good mood or not. Before now, I could go wherever I wanted but now, I have to be more careful.
Virginity
I am a strong advocate for sexual purity and it goes beyond the screen for me. That is who I am and I’m not doing it for any other reason than that. Years before I began acting, God told me that
He would open doors for me and that wherever I go, I should always talk about Him and sexual purity. I belong to Mine Ministry which advocates sexual purity and we have our World Virginity Day on the second Saturday in June every year. Virginity Day isn’t only for virgins but for all who stand for sexual purity and know that virginity isn’t a thing of the past. There are lots of immoral things on social media which attract a lot of traffic but it’s sad that when you talk about something like sexual purity, people look at you like you’re doing something weird. I must confess that it has not been easy for me. But irrespective of what goes on around me and in the movie industry, I have resolved to stand tall and stay true to my values.
Relationship
I am in a relationship now but I wasn’t in one when I started advocating purity. Sexual purity isn’t all about being in a relationship or not. A lot of people might think that I’m saying I’m sexually pure because I wasn’t in a relationship but there are some people that could come up to you and say they don’t want to have a relationship with you, that all they want is sex. There will always be pressure and it’s not an easy process but it’s good to stick to one’s values. Sometimes, one may even be tempted to give it all up but I believe that people shouldn’t have sex until they’re married. I don’t need to talk about the kind of man I like because I already have a man I love.
Fashion
I like anything fancy and decent. I believe you don’t have to reveal any part of your body to be fashionable. You can be all covered and still look very good. There is no fashion item that I’m crazy about but I like accessories though I don’t really wear them. However, I appreciate it when I see it on people.
Relaxation
I hang out with friends or go to see a movie. I also like dancing and that’s how I unwind