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Nollywood actress Adunni Ade has been awarded N20 million in damages by a Lagos High Court after an online publication falsely linked her to a romantic relationship with Senator Dino Melaye.
The judgment, delivered on Monday, October 6, 2025, marks a significant legal victory for the actress in her fight against online misinformation and invasion of privacy.
The case, filed under suit number LD/17781MFHR/2024, targeted a news outlet and its reporter over a January 18, 2023, story titled, “Six Popular Nigerian Actresses Who Have Been Accused of Dating Dino Melaye.” Adunni Ade argued that the publication portrayed her in a “misleading and offensive way,” misrepresenting her personal life to generate traffic and attract advertisements.
She further claimed that the article caused her emotional and psychological distress, infringing her constitutional right to privacy under Section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution. Additionally, the use of her name and images without consent violated the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.
The defendants, in their defense, contended that the images of Adunni Ade were publicly available on her Instagram profile and questioned the delay in filing the suit.
However, the court ruled in favor of the actress. Justice Ibironke Harrison emphasized that Adunni did not need to have directly provided her data to the defendants to pursue a legal claim.
The court ordered the immediate removal of her name and pictures from the publication and recognized “false light” as a distinct form of privacy violation a landmark decision in Nigerian privacy law.
This ruling is not Adunni Ade’s first confrontation with false reporting. She had previously threatened legal action against another blog over misleading reports concerning her marital status.
The actress’s persistence underscores her commitment to holding media outlets accountable and protecting her personal and family life from unwarranted intrusion.
Adunni Ade, who was born to a German-American mother and a Nigerian father, is a single mother raising two sons, Ayden Young and D’marion Young. She has consistently spoken out against misinformation and emphasized the importance of truth and fairness in media reporting.
The N20 million award serves not only as compensation for the harm caused but also as a warning to online publishers to verify their content before publication. Adunni Ade’s legal victory highlights the growing recognition of digital privacy rights in Nigeria and sets a precedent for celebrities and public figures seeking redress against defamatory content online.
Fans and legal observers alike have hailed the decision as a win for personal privacy, accountability, and responsible journalism.
The judgment reinforces the principle that the right to privacy extends to individuals regardless of their public profile and that false representation in media can have tangible legal consequences.
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