Nigerian media personality and actress, Omotunde Adebowale-David, popularly known as Lolo 1, has opened up about a deeply personal and painful chapter of her life—an experience of sexual assault that has haunted her for years.
In a recent episode of the Say My Piece podcast, which she co-hosts, Lolo revealed that she was raped by a colleague in the broadcasting industry, a traumatic event she has carried in silence. Despite being a familiar voice and face in the media, she admitted that speaking publicly about the incident has always been difficult due to fear of judgment and societal backlash.
“I hardly ever say this, and I am not even ready to tell the full story,” she said solemnly, her voice laced with emotion. “The stories of sexual assault… When I discussed it with my daughter yesterday, she held my hand and said, ‘Mummy, you’ve gone through so much.’ And I said I had.”
Reflecting on the toll the experience has taken on her mental and emotional health, Lolo recounted how the trauma continues to affect her, especially because she still encounters her alleged assailant.
“I remember how many of those things I have to relive. I have been raped only once in my life, and I was raped by a colleague,” she revealed. “I see him every other day. Do you know how traumatised I am? When I see him, I just get into this momentary panic.”
Her words paint a disturbing picture of what it’s like to coexist professionally with someone who inflicted such deep pain—how the past can bleed into the present, uninvited and relentless.
The actress also spoke candidly about the pressure and hesitation many survivors feel when deciding whether or not to come forward, especially when their abuser holds power or prestige. “But if a woman of my calibre named him—he’s an established person in the broadcast industry—won’t people say, ‘How come I didn’t speak about it for all these six years until now that he’s taking a prominent TV position?’” she asked rhetorically, highlighting the harsh scrutiny victims often face.
Her concern is not unfounded; in many cases, survivors are blamed, doubted, or accused of having ulterior motives when they break their silence long after the abuse occurred.
Lolo’s story underscores the layered complexity of sexual assault and the lasting psychological scars it can leave behind. She concluded with a powerful observation about the common emotional responses women face in the aftermath of such trauma.
“When sexual assault happens to women, the first thing to happen is denial. The next thing is self-blaming,” she said. Her decision to share even a fragment of her experience is both brave and necessary, shedding light on an issue that is too often shrouded in silence.
