In a heartfelt podcast interview, Nollywood actress Eucharia Anunobi revealed the challenges she faced before fame and her difficult relationship with her father.

She shared that her father strongly opposed her education and ambitions, believing that investing in a girl child was pointless since she would eventually marry. Despite being financially comfortable, he withdrew support for her schooling and severed ties after she refused to follow the career path he had chosen for her.

To fund her education, Eucharia turned to modeling, which became both her livelihood and a way to continue her studies. She recounted a particularly painful episode when her father locked her in her room for six months because she refused to complete employment forms he had insisted she submit for an office job. Despite the pressure, she stood firm and refused to comply.

Eucharia also disclosed that her father unofficially disowned her and disapproved of her acting career, forcing her to sneak out or even climb fences to attend auditions. Her fortunes shifted when she won her first award in London for the film Glamour Girls, a victory that eventually softened her father’s stance. Upon her return, he blessed her and accepted the award from her.

Her story echoes experiences shared by other celebrities. BBNaija star Erica Nlewedim, for example, recently responded to criticism for taking her previously absent father to a premiere, questioning whether fans expected her to harbor resentment for life.

Late last year, veteran actress Jumoke George recounted being rejected by her parents after choosing to stay with her father following their divorce, a decision that strained her relationship with both her mother and her father’s new wife.

Similarly, actor Charles Inojie revealed that his mother abandoned him at eight months old, and after his father remarried, his stepmother’s influence worsened his treatment at home.

Bimbo Ademoye shared that her mother abandoned her at age two, though she has since made efforts to reconnect and support her.

Even crossdresser James Brown opened up about his early abandonment, noting the love and support of his grandmother, while choosing to cut ties with his biological mother despite her attempts at reconnection.