Ada Ameh: Nollywood mourns, how late actress battled grief, mental issues

Veteran Nollywood actress, Ada Ameh, popular for her role as Emu in Africa Magic family drama, The Johnsons, died on Sunday night.

The news of the thespian’s death shocked fans and colleagues and was made public on Monday.

In this piece, The PUNCH highlights how grief, loss, mental breakdown, and other issues shaped the life of the late Ameh.

 

Early pregnancy

 

Ameh stated that she got pregnant at 13 years old because her peers introduced her to sex early.

In a 2021 interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, the actress revealed that her peers influenced her, which led her to get pregnant at the early age of 13.

When asked about the cause of her early pregnancy, she said, “It wasn’t my parents. I was influenced by my peers. They introduced me to ‘early sex’. One thing led to another, and I got pregnant.

“The most beautiful part is that, on my 15th birthday, my baby was barely five months old. I was marched out of the Barracks.”

Ameh stated that she took to alcoholism during that period because she felt she had gotten her independence already.

 

Daughter’s death

 

Despite her early motherhood, the actress, in October 2020, lost her daughter, Aladi Godgift, who was over 30 years old.

Aladi had died after an unsuccessful surgery in Abuja, and in October 2021, the bereaved mother visited her daughter’s grave site to mark her one-year remembrance.

Ameh had also celebrated her daughter on the latter’s posthumous birthday in late 2021.

Born on May 15, 1974, in Ajegunle, Lagos, Adah Ameh became a popular face in Nollywood after playing the role of Anita in the 1996 blockbuster, Domitila. Punch