Entertainment
Meet Tonto Dikeh’s Replacement in Churchill’s Heart, Rosy Meurer
Rosy Meurer, an up and coming Nollywood actress, was once again thrust into the limelight on Monday after Tonto Dikeh’s ex-husband, Olakunle Churchill, unveiled her as his wife.
The tattoo-loving actress made the news headlines for the first time in 2017 when she was fingered in Tonto and Churchill’s divorce brouhaha.
At the time, she was an ambassador of Churchill’s Big Church Foundation’s Mother and Child Project.
Tonto would later reveal in an interview on Media Room Hub that she was aware that her ex-husband abandoned her and their son because she (Meurer) “had been sleeping with him.”
Among other allegations, Tonto revealed that her ex-husband gifted Meurer an SUV on her birthday.
Meurer later debunked the allegations.
Four years down the line and several denials after, it appears Churchill and Meurer are tired of playing games and want the whole world to know that they are officially married.
And so Churchill, in a birthday message penned to Meurer on Monday, addressed her as his ‘wife’ and then dropped a shocker. They had been married for two years!
In another post, the businessman and philanthropist penned another birthday wish for his young wife and tagged it “two years and stronger.’’
He wrote, “May God bless you today on your birthday and every day after. May you be comforted by His presence in your life. You have brought so much happiness, laughter, and wisdom into our life. Raising a glass in celebration of you, and sending many best wishes for your birthday. #twoyearsandstronger.”
Meurer, 29, who has come under attack from Tonto’s die-hard fans on Instagram, responded to the birthday message showing off her wedding ring.
So away from the husband-snatching scandal, who really is Rosy Meurer?
Meurer was born in The Gambia to a Dutch father and a Nigerian mother from Delta State. She is the first child in a family of three.
Meurer, who ventured into acting in 2012 when she starred in Emem Isong’s movie, ‘Spellbound’, is commonly known more as Tonto’s ex-rival than as an actress.
She gained notoriety when Tonto accused her of sleeping with her then-husband in 2017. Meurer would later admit that “she got more jobs and money after Tonto’s marriage crisis allegations”.
She got her big break in The Gambia when some Nollywood actors came to shoot a movie.
One of the producers spotted her when they visited her mum’s restaurant. That was how she landed her debut movie role and also met a director, Desmond Elliot, who advised her to try acting in Nigeria.
‘‘When he got back to Nigeria, he called me and said Emem Isong had a role for me in her movie. I traveled to Lagos and I starred in my first Nollywood movie titled Spell Bound,’’ she said in a Punch interview.
Meurer, who describes herself as a Gambian-born Nigerian actress, is best known for her role in Ayo Makun’s 2018 movie: Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons.
Her movie credits include ‘Weekend Getaway’ (2012), TV series ‘Oasis’ (2014), ‘Damaged Petal’ (2015), ‘Red Card’ (2015), and ‘Open Marriage’( 2015). Others are ‘Karma’ (2018), ‘Accidental Affair’ (2019), and ‘Circle of Sinners’ (2020).
She has featured in over 15 movies to date and produced her first movie, ‘Therapist Therapy’ in 2017.
Aside from acting, Meurer is also a philanthropist and an ambassador of Women and Child at Big Church Foundation, owned by Churchill.
Meurer, who bagged her first movie award as Next Rated Nollywood star at The Nigeria Goodwill Ambassador Award in 2016, speaks about five languages including English, Dutch, Gambian Dialect, Delta language, and Hausa.
She was signed as a Glo Ambassador in August 2019.
Premium Times
Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their home in New Mexico along with their dog, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office told CNN. He was 95.
Their causes of death have not been confirmed, but foul play is not suspected, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Denise Womack-Avila told CNN on Thursday morning.
Deputies responded to a welfare check request at the home around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday and found Hackman, Arakawa and a dog deceased, Womack-Avila said. An investigation is ongoing, the sheriff’s office said. The gas company is assisting in the investigation, The Associated Press reported.
The welfare check was conducted after a neighbor called authorities, concerned about the couple’s well-being, CNN affiliate KOAT reported.
A search warrant shows that Hackman, his wife and their dog had been dead for some time, and the couple’s bodies were in different rooms when deputies found them during the wellness check, the AP reported.
Hackman was found dead Wednesday in a mudroom, and Arakawa was found dead in a bathroom next to a space heater. There was an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on the countertop near Arakawa, the AP reported.
Medical examiner’s reports with the final cause of death “generally take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to generate,” said Chris Ramirez, spokesperson for the New Mexico medical investigator’s office.
CNN has reached out to Hackman’s representatives.
The actor’s death comes just days before the Academy Awards on Sunday.
Hackman’s performances in such films as “The French Connection,” “Hoosiers,” “Unforgiven,” and “The Firm” elevated character roles to leading-man levels.
Hackman’s best roles were often of conflicted authority figures or surprisingly clever white-collar villains, such as the iconic, evil Lex Luthor in the “Superman” film series in the 1970s and ’80s. Many held a hint – sometimes more than a hint – of menace.
He won an Oscar for his portrayal in 1971’s “The French Connection” of New York cop Popeye Doyle, a detective who gets his man but at a high cost. His surveillance expert in 1974’s “The Conversation” is single-minded to the point of obsession, losing all perspective.
He won his second Oscar for his performance as Little Bill Daggett, the violent sheriff in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 film, “Unforgiven.”
Source: CNN
Nigerian music star, Patoranking, is guest this week on the Glo-sponsored African Voices, the magazine programme of the Cable News Network (CNN) International.
He will share the story of how he rose from the slums of Lagos to global fame to host of the programme, Larry Madowo.
The programme will equally host Ghanaian Derrick Cobinnah, who has been using his “Forces Help Africa” to turn round for good the fortunes of Ghanaian war veterans.
Patoranking, whose full name is Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie, hails from Onicha in Ebonyi State. He was born in Lagos on 27 May 1990. He is a Nigerian Afrobeats and reggae-dancehall singer and songwriter who starred out in life as a street musical performer.
He has won notable awards including Headies, Vodafone Ghana Music Awards as well as the MTV Africa Music Award in recognition of his hit albums including God Over Everything (2016), Wilmer (2019), Three (2020) and World Best which was released last year.
Patoranking has used his wealth and his position as a UNDP Regional goodwill ambassador to champion the cause of youth development in Nigeria.His counterpart, Derrick Cobinnah, has been employing his Forces Help Africa, a non-government organisation to render help and support to war veterans who are sick, injured, displaced or destitute.
The current edition of African Voices started airing on DSTV Channel 401 om Saturday, with repeats coming up on Sunday at 7p.m. and at 4 a.m. on Monday.
Entertainment
Behold the Prophetess: DJ Cuppy Foretells End of Singlehood in 2025 As Nigerians Offer Advice
Disc Jockey, DJ Cuppy, has prophesied that Valentine’s Day 2025 will be her last one as an unmarried woman.
The 32-year-old, in a post on X, expressed faith in God to help her get a husband.
“Happy #ValentinesDay to me! Manifesting that this is my last one unmarried… Lord, do your thing!” she wrote.
There have been diverse reactions to her post. While some professed love to her, others dished out unsolicited advice and even made recommendations for life partners.
Ogunniyi Taiwo (@tcarz45) wrote: “Baby come let me give you love unconditionally.”
Another X user “SanTa ExqCobar”≠ (@SanTaExqCobar) commented: “If na bad character make you never marry, change am. Happy Val.”
Mr Gibenny (@mrgibenny) suggested: “@uchecrypt is single @cuppymusic. @Crypto__hub is single @cuppymusic. Choose either of them, you won’t regret it.”
Mezie Abia (@MezieAbia) had this advice for Cuppy: “I hope you do realize that the Lord will not find husband for you? Go out there and make use of your woman skills to lure a man who will stick with you. We can’t have a good number of handsome and single men roaming the cities, and you’re always worrying and disturbing Lord to do His thing every damn year.
“Heaven helps those who help themselves, therefore, make a haste while the sun shines (sic).”
Olubunmi Aro (@bummiearo) wrote: “Don’t be under any pressure to marry please.”
Sulucious (@sulucious) asked Cuppy to marry him. “Let get married, na you they fine who get money,” he wrote.
DJ Cuppy announced her relationship with British boxer, Ryan Taylor, in December 2022.
After getting to know each other for 25 days, she disclosed that they got engaged.
However, after un-following one another on Instagram in July 2023, the couple gave rise to rumour that they were no longer together.
Cuppy later opened up about the failed relationship while recounting the setbacks in her life at an event.
Born as Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola, DJ Cuppy is the daughter of billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola.
