Anita Joseph is undoubtedly one of the most controversial artistes in the Nigerian entertainment industry. She first came into reckoning in 2005 when she featured in the movie, Good Samaritan. In 2008, the dark-skinned beauty decided to show her teeming fans a new side of her by delving into music with the stage name, Nita J. She released her first single, Sexy Boy and afterwards her second, Time No Dey. YES INTERNATIONAL! chatted her up a while back…
FAMILY BACKGROUND
Anita Chinwe Joseph Nwabufo was born in 1985 to the family of Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Nwabufo in Onitsha, Anambra State. She is a native of Nsugbe, also in Anambra State. She is the ninth of ten children, three males and seven females.
EDUCATION BACKGROUND
Anita is a 2006 graduate of Linguistics from the University of Calabar. She also attended Nigerian Air Force Authority Secondary School, Omagwa, Port Harcourt, from where she was later transferred to Comprehensive Secondary School, Aba, Abia State, where she concluded her secondary education.
MOVIE
Contrary to the tale by many that Anita rarely features in movies, she said, ‘The thing is that people wait for Africa Magic to show my movies and if you wait for them to show my movies before you can watch them, you will be making a big mistake because they can’t show it all the time. For instance, between last year and this year, I have featured in over 15, like Gamblers, Festival of Madness, The King Is Mine, Sex Dancer and others’.
ACTING AND SINGING
For those who often times get confused about whether she is a singer or an actress, she explained, ‘I am an actress and also a singer. But I can say I do movies more because I feel I am in charge of my music. I can do my recording anytime I like. For instance, now that I am working on my album, it does not stop me from my acting jobs too. Whenever I get jobs to do, I just travel to locations, do them and come back to still continue my music’.
ANITA AND CONTROVERSIES
To say that she is controversial is an understatement. But hear her first, ‘My brother, I don’t know ooo. Na you I go ask ;una know why nao (speaking in pidgin English) I don’t know…but can I tell you the truth? So many of these stories are lies and it affects me because when people, especially some of my fans see me outside, they won’t really understand that scandals and controversies come with our job. Anita is dating this one today, Anita is dating that one tomorrow; do you know how many people they said I have dated in this industry? Only me o…some times when I call to explain to some people, they would say, Anita, but you are not like that, so why worry? But I will say I am getting accustomed to it’.
SPONSORING NEGATIVE STORIES FOR PUBLICITY SAKE
This got her laughing almost endlessly, after which she replied…’Oya now, you see what I have been telling you? My dear, so many negative things have been said about me, but like I told you before, I have resolved to cope with them. One thing is, when you are in the limelight, things like that happen. For instance, look at the way I am dressed now in this short gown. Some people can come and start saying one thing or the other, but this time I don’t care about it anymore and I don’t need to do things just to please people anymore. Why should I pay somebody to write stories about me? And a negative one at that. I mean, if I want to publicize myself or need to do stories about myself, then it should be positive stories, not damaging stories. That’s what some people believe, but I don’t think it’s true. Wait a minute, do these people even think before writing all these negative stories about me? I mean, I have a father and a mother, I have brothers and sisters and as the last child, my family see these stories and they feel bad and disappointed in me as their small sister. My dear, to be candid, these things affect me. People just think they can write anything about me, but all the same, I know it won’t stop me. I’m moving forward rather than going down’.
ENDOWED ANITA AND HER MALE ADMIRERS
This time, her mood changed. ‘Ehhhh, I handle them (stressing it). I just try to manage them because they are my fans, they buy my movies and I have to be nice to them. All the same, I don’t tolerate rubbish and don’t like people taking me for granted’.
EMBARRASSING MOMENTS
It is not uncommon to see a celebrity being embarrassed and Anita’s not an exception. In fact, the very recent one which she could remember, according to her, was that of a guy who after watching a movie where she played the role of a bad girl, saw her in the company of some friends and after starring at her said, ‘Hmm, na waoo, so you are this bad eh?’
NEW RELATIONSHIP
Yes! She agreed she is in a serious relationship with a foreign-based footballer, whose identity she refused to reveal. ‘Sorry I can’t say much about him,’ she insisted. On what attracted her, hear her; ‘He has the fear of God, he has respect for me, he understands me, he is smart, he is sexy, he is everything. I love him’.
ANITA AND LOVE
‘I have fallen in love two times. I mean, real love. As for heartbreak, no, because I only part ways’.
SEX
S-e-x! She exclaimed, wearing a surprised look. ‘You have come again o! But I am not going to talk to you about that’. Asked when she lost her virginity, she replied, ‘I can’t tell you that also’.
NB: This interview had been published earlier in our magazine