The internet is on fire, and Ghanaian actress Yvonne Nelson seems to have lit the flame. The actress and producer famous for her roles in films like House of Gold, If Tomorrow Never Comes, Princess Tyra and Playboy recently released her latest project, the memoir, I Am Not Yvonne Nelson.
The book, which details her professional and personal journey, has become a hot topic online, so we decided to get into some of the most interesting revelations it contains.
Confirmation of her relationship with Sarkodie and the baby they never had
Rumours have gone on for years about Yvonne Nelson’s alleged relationship with Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie.
Finally confirming the gist that’s been drifting around for over a decade, Yvonne details her relationship with Sarkodie, which ended in 2010 after she had an abortion. The book goes into graphic details about the process, Sarkodie’s decision to abandon her at her lowest point and the trauma that followed her choice back then.
The story of her break up with Iyanya and Tonto Dikeh’s alleged role in everything
Remember when Iyanya sang “Yvonne Nelson, I have your medicine” in Your Waist in 2012 and ended up dating and tattooing Yvonne Nelson’s name on his body? Good old days.
Almost a decade after their relationship ended in 2013, which Yvonne briefly discussed on The Juice with Toolz, the actress and producer details the events leading up to their break up. She claims that Iyanya not only cheated on her but did it with multiple women, including Tonto Dikeh. While we wait for Tonto to break the internet with a response, Iyanya has taken the book as an opportunity to promote his latest EP, ironically titled Love & Trust, which slaps, by the way.
She accused Nollywood of being an industry of pimps
Pulling her own Caroline from Real Housewives of Lagos card, Yvonne goes into alleged cases of actresses and actors being pimped out to Nigeria’s financial and political elites. While she doesn’t mention names, she goes on about her experience and how she avoided following the same pattern during her time in Nollywood.
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Genevieve Nnaji makes an appearance
If, like me, you were gagging after seeing “Genevieve Nnaji and the Rest” as the title of the book’s 14th chapter, then I’m sorry to disappoint you. It’s not like I was expecting something scandalous about my unproblematic queen, but not everyone in this book has been mentioned for good, so there were some mild heart palpitations.
The 14th chapter of the book talks about her time working with Ms Nnaji on the set of the 2008 Ikechukwu Onyeka-directed film, To Love And To Cherish, which also starred Chidi Mokeme. In the book, Yvonne talks about how great it was to work with Genevieve, and that was it.
Yvonne Nelson would’ve been a politician if not for John Dumelo
Another takeaway from Yvonne’s memoir is her brief stint in politics and how it ended because of her loyalty to John Dumelo.
In the book, Yvonne talks about how she was approached in 2020 by a few politicians to run for a seat in Ghana’s parliament. The actress explains that she turned down the opportunity because her friend and fellow actor, John Dumelo, was contesting in the same elections. John, who lost the election but plans to run again in 2024, confirmed this in a now-deleted tweet.
The identity crisis that followed a shocking discovery about her “dad”
While a lot of the drama trailing Yvonne Nelson’s memoir has focused on her romantic relationships, the book’s main focus and inspiration behind its title comes from her relationship with her parents.
In the book, Yvonne reveals a shocking fact about her family. Her mum had claimed a certain Oko Nelson was Yvonne’s father all her life despite the man’s counterclaim that she wasn’t his daughter. For years, Yvonne and her alleged father were estranged over the belief that he didn’t claim her. It wasn’t until Mr Nelson was fatally ill that her mum finally revealed that he wasn’t her dad.
Yvonne details the regret and pain that followed this revelation and how Mr Nelson’s death further compounded it. This confusion about her paternity informed the book’s title, I Am Not Yvonne Nelson, after finding out that the man whose name she’s carried over the years wasn’t her real dad.
You can find Yvonne’s memoir here.
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