Actress Linda Osifo Speaks on Desire to Bleach Skin

Renowned Nollywood actress, Linda Osifo, has opened up about a deeply personal and emotional aspect of her life, revealing that she once contemplated skin bleaching while residing in Canada due to the distressing experience of racial slurs.

Born in Benin City, Nigeria, Linda Osifo relocated to Canada at the age of 16. In a recent interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, the talented actress candidly shared the challenges she faced in Canada, specifically the racial discrimination she encountered, which left her traumatized, as it came from “within.”

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?”

Osifo replied: “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.”