Veteran Yoruba Nollywood actress Yetunde Wunmi has opened up about a deeply personal and emotional chapter from the early days of her acting career.
In a heartfelt interview on Talk2dunnis TV, the celebrated thespian revealed how her passion for theatre led her to make a difficult and ultimately heartbreaking decision—one that has left a lasting impact on her life.
Wunmi shared that just 41 days after giving birth, she made the unexpected choice to rejoin her boss’s theatre troupe for a trip.
The decision came after she happened to encounter the group during a rehearsal. Moved by a deep yearning to perform and a strong sense of connection to the stage, she expressed her desire to accompany them. Her colleagues were taken aback, considering how recently she had delivered, but Wunmi remained resolute in her determination.
Knowing her husband would likely disapprove of her leaving home so soon after childbirth, Wunmi chose to conceal the truth. Instead of disclosing her plans to travel with the theatre troupe, she told him she was visiting her mother in another town. This carefully crafted lie allowed her to join the group without raising suspicion.
Throughout the trip, Wunmi balanced the responsibilities of new motherhood with the demands of stage performance. She brought her infant along, often wrapping the child in her costume to shield against the cold during stage breaks. Between scenes, she would hand the baby over to a caretaker, resuming her motherly duties as soon as each performance ended.
Tragically, during one of these outings, the child became gravely ill and later passed away at just one year and ten days old.
She said: “One unforgettable experience in my life was when I joined my boss theatre troupe. At the time, I was nursing a newborn who was less than 41 days old. One day, I decided to take a walk and saw my group in the middle of a rehearsal. Curious, I asked if there was an outing. My boss replied that the troupe was preparing for a trip, and without hesitation, I said I would join them. Everyone assumed I was joking because I had just given birth. But I was serious. So I had to lie to my husband. I didn’t tell my husband the real reason I was leaving; instead, I told him I was going to visit my mother in another town. Anytime I was called to the stage to dance, I would wrap the baby in my costume because it was extremely cold. Then I’d give the child to someone, and take the child back whenever I was done. After one of these performances, the baby developed a high fever. I rushed to a pharmacy for medication. Two days later, my boss advised me to return home because of the baby’s health, but I insisted on staying. Sadly, the child died at just one year and ten days old.”