The actress, who during this season became the villain, has come under heavy criticism for some of her actions that fans and other cast of the show have termed “bullying.”
“I need to explain some things. I need to clear the air a bit,” the actress said in an Instagram Live session on Tuesday. “It is not scripted, but they edit it in a way that they give drama.”
She said that the viral incident where she stepped on Faith Morey’s dress was only for the show. She also added that she apologised to Morey for the act at the time. She insisted that most of the scenes in which she was cold to Morey were all part of “giving a show.”
“When I signed on The Real Housewives season one, a lot of things were said to us then [that] we should do, and we shouldn’t do. Because I was new to it and I was yet to understand it, I just went on the show to obey and do what I was asked to do,” she said.
She also clarified that the show is not entirely scripted but it’s not entirely real life either.
“The show is not scripted. But we’re given certain instructions and it is edited in a way to suit [certain narratives]. And some narratives are given to us to do,” she said.
All through this season, contentions over how real the attitudes of some of the housewives to other cast mates on the show have led to some housewives having to make public statements insisting that the show is not entirely real life. They argue that it was edited to suit certain narratives with a huge chunk of the events cut out of the show.
“Own your crude, crass behaviour with your chests,” Morey posted on Instagram referring to Ojo at the start of the show in October. “You never liked me from the very first day you met me and you never stopped showing me that…I never did anything to you and you never for once apologised for anything or saw how badly you treated me! You never gave me a chance! You wanted to be close to anyone who disliked me because you are nothing but a shameless bully! I wish the producers showed everything in full! Edits were even to your advantage but your spiteful behaviour can’t even escape edits! Stop trying to downplay the show,” Morey added.
On Monday, Ojo apologised on Instagram saying, “In the midst of that drama, I may have offended some people and displayed some behaviours that are certain attributes to bullies. For that, I am truly sorry to all that I have offended.”
In the Instagram Live session on Tuesday, she added, “There is no Real Housewives without drama. It’s not possible.”
“The show told me that in season one my ratings were low. My ratings were low because I did not do any drama. And I said ‘Okay, this year I will give drama. So there’s no way in my real life that I will just wake up one morning and step on somebody’s dress and say I want to give drama,” she said.
Ojo also said that she had to respond again because of Toyin Lawani’s post, where she insisted that the show was not scripted. “At this rate, the show is losing credibility as an authentic reality show that it is …I will not be part of this joke,” she said on Instagram. “You mean I left my various businesses, kids, family, with my bad health to go and shoot a pretentious show?”
Ojo also addressed the “bully” accusations, especially the scene where she said during her diary session that “If I don’t like her [Laura Ikeji] then I can bully her,” that it “came out wrong.”
“And about the bully part. In the bullying part, they said that Laura said I was a bully and I was already upset with Laura. It came out wrong and that’s why I apologised to the viewers,” she said.
Ojo also posted another video of all the housewives in a pool as evidence that the cast was on cordial terms when shooting ended. Tania Omotayo reacted to the post arguing that it was cut because it wasn’t “negative.”
“I’m still shocked that they deleted this whole scene. After that breakfast table situation, we all had a blast and got along but they will never show that because it’s not negative. This is how the show should have ended. A complete joke,” Omotayo said.
