UPDATED: Popular Nollywood Actor Alex Ekubo Passes away at 40
Popular Nollywood actor, Alex Ekubo, is dead. He was 40. His death was confirmed on Tuesday by his colleagues, Funke Akindele, Bolanle Ninalowo, and Godwin Nnadiekwe, who claimed to be his ally. Sharing on her Instagram story, Akindele wrote, “Hmmmmmm. Rest in peace, Alex. I tried to reach out to see you one more time, but I guess you knew best. May your kind soul rest in peace, Alex. ‘Ore mi like you fondly called me, I will always remember and cherish the good times we shared together. Rest in Peace, Alex.” Meanwhile, Ninalowo, who is now in the United States, also mourned on his page, writing, “Rest on, Alex. May God heal your family and us all.” Nnadiekwe, on the other hand, shared, “I’m struggling to find the words. This news has truly broken me. Nollywood has lost a rare soul, and I’m lost for words because this wasn’t the plan, Alex Ekubo. To think you already prepared your Will — It’s heartbroken, I can’t quite describe. Rest well, my friend.” As of the time of filing this report, his family has not issued a statement on his death. Recall that fans across social media recently expressed concerns for Ekubo following his first public appearance after months of social media silence. The light-skinned movie star had been absent from Instagram since December 30, 2024, sparking speculation about his well-being. However, a recent video that surfaced online brought him back into the spotlight, though it also raised further questions. In the viral clip, Ekubo was seen interacting with a group of children, appearing noticeably slimmer and subdued. The video, posted by user @AsakyGRN on X (formerly Twitter), was captioned, “Alex Ekubo spotted for the first time since disappearing from social media.” The footage triggered a wave of emotional reactions from fans, many of whom noted a significant change in his appearance and questioned his wellbeing. Before his demise, the actor dismissed marriage in favour of his quest to earn more money in the film industry. In January 2023, his then-lover, Fancy Acholonu, in an interview, revealed that she dated the late actor for five years without them having any intimacy. The US-based model also called off her wedding to Ekubo in December 2021, after apologising to the film star a year later for calling it off. Acholonu affirmed her love for the actor, saying that “like our shirt says, Nothing makes sense when we’re apart @alexxekubo you still have my heart. “I miss you, I love you, and I’m truly sorry for all the hurt & pain you and your family went through with our breakup.” She noted that her actions were out of character, and she has realised she could have controlled her emotions and not been so overreactive. However, in a post on his Instagram page, Ekubo implied that he was aware that some people were curious about why he has not yet been married. The film star said he was more interested in making money. He urged people not to bother about his marital status.