Nollywood veterans Rita Edochie and Chinwe Owoh have made a heartfelt appeal to Nigerians to respect the privacy of Jennifer Awele, the widow of late actor Junior Pope, during this difficult time. The appeal was made in a viral video captured at the actor’s burial in Enugu State on Friday.
The actresses responded to rumors suggesting that Junior Pope and his wife were not on good terms before his untimely death. They emphasized that misunderstandings are common in every household and urged the public to allow Awele to mourn her husband in peace.
“Junior Pope’s wife, they should leave her alone! There’s nobody who doesn’t have misunderstandings in their home. Even if they had misunderstandings, they should leave that girl alone. Leave her alone to bury her husband quietly for his soul to rest in peace,” Chinwe Owoh stated.
Rita Edochie added, “And who even said they were having issues? Junior Pope is gone. Everybody is saying different versions of what they want. I beg God to accept his soul. He’s a good man, one person with no form of discrimination against any human being. Anywhere he is, if spirits can see, he should protect his family. People who are saying he was killed are the killers in charge of their own lives? People should stop talking rubbish.”
She continued, “Social media has done more harm than good. Someone that’s full of life lost his life, but instead of them to rest, they’re stressing his wife again. Every mouth in charge of this foul information, God will judge you. Leave someone who is innocent to have peace of mind.”
The appeal follows controversy surrounding Junior Pope’s funeral poster, which initially did not include the term “husband,” sparking online speculation. The actor’s family later clarified that the burial poster was unauthorized and corrected it to include his wife’s name.
Junior Pope’s death has been a significant loss to the Nollywood community, and his colleagues are urging for compassion and respect for his grieving family.
