- Toolz, has called out an X user who criticized Jennifer, the widow of late Nollywood actor Jnr Pope, for “moving on” less than a year after his passing.
- The backlash arose after a video of Jennifer attending an event with actress Mercy Johnson circulated online. The critic claimed she appeared to have moved on too quickly and warned men against dying young.
- Toolz responded sharply, noting that it has actually been 20 months since Jnr Pope’s death and questioning why widows are expected to grieve indefinitely while men in similar situations often remarry within a year.
Nigerian On-air personality, Tolu Oniru-Demuren, widely known as Toolz, took to her X handle (formerly Twitter) to call out a man who publicly mocked the widow of the late actor Jnr Pope, Jennifer, for allegedly “moving on” less than a year after her husband’s death.
Jnr Pope tragically passed away in 2023 in a boat accident, leaving behind his wife and three young sons.
The controversy began on Sunday, December 7, after a video circulated online showing Jennifer dressed up and stepping out for an event alongside actress Mercy Johnson.
An X user, Obiasogu David (@afrisagacity), commented on the video, suggesting that Jennifer was “casually handling an iPhone 17 Pro Max, and looking like she’s already moved on, barely 1 year after losing her husband and bearing the burden of raising three kid-boys”. He then issued a general warning: “Dear men, do whatever you can not to d!e young, especially after newly marrying”.
Toolz spotted the comment and strongly rebuked the user, pointing out the unrealistic expectations placed on widows:
“‘Barely a year’ is actually 20 months. She should lock herself away and mourn forever? When it wouldn’t be unusual in this country for a man to have another wife within the same one year”.
Toolz’s retort highlights the gender disparity in mourning expectations and quickly drew support from others online.
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