Many Nigerians have praised Deyemi Okanlawon for his calm and thoughtful response during a recent television interview when he was asked about his late friend and colleague, Alexx Ekubo.
The moment occurred on The Morayo Show, hosted by Morayo Afolabi-Brown. During the interview, the presenter asked Okanlawon about his experience at Ekubo’s burial.
After offering her condolences, Morayo invited the actor to reflect on the weekend and share how he and other close friends of the late star had coped with the loss.
“My condolences to you, to you, the entire friends of Alexx Ekubo, because I know you were there over the weekend and I know you also penned a tribute to him on IG. It was a really, really tough one for you and the rest of his friends. Tell us about that experience over the weekend.”
Deyemi Okanlawon remained calm and chose not to respond to the question.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said.
The clip quickly gained attention online and sparked debate among fans. Many commended Okanlawon for staying composed and maintaining his boundaries. Others criticised Morayo for bringing up a sensitive issue during the interview.
Many social media users praised the actor for remaining calm throughout the interview. At the same time, they criticised the interviewer’s line of questioning. Some of the reactions are highlighted below.
@KunnujiC wrote:
“One day, we will talk about the dumb questions some of these interviewers ask. When did burial become an experience?”
@celinaavong commented:
“deyemitheactor is an emotionally intelligent man. He doesn’t just follow trends and blab. He is one actor I have so much respect for. With all the videos online, she de ask person to talk about the funeral experience of a loved one. Very insensitive question to ask.”
@confi_lawson reacted:
“That’s someone that has emotional intelligence 👏”
@clarisyuri said:
“A simple ” sincere condolences on the loss of your friend” would have been enough. Some of these Podcasters too do”
@tchinony asked:
“Madam interviewer, are you looking for burial review? 🤦🏻♂️”
@officialdaddymo wrote:
“Emotional intelligence is not a flower that grows in every garden. Well answered Deyemi. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾”