EKO HOT BLOG reports that reports of the passing of Nollywood icon Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, have been circulating on social media.
He is believed to have passed away on Sunday, June 30th, at the age of 82.
This marks at least the third time in three years that rumours of his passing have trended.
In June 2020, it was rumoured that Jacobs had died. His wife Joke Silva, also an actor, debunked the news.
Silva also refuted a October 2021 social media post announcing her husband’s demise.
In August 2022, the actress was forced to deny yet another death rumour.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official confirmation of speculations of the actor’s death.
Jacobs, a multiple award-winning actor, has been battling dementia for some time.
In a recent interview, his wife shared how her husband’s health had changed him significantly, stating that Jacobs was no longer the man she walked down the aisle with 37 years ago.
“It hasn’t been easy. There was a point of acceptance for me that everything happening is reality. It is like the person I married, 80 per cent of the time, is no longer there,” Silva said.
“But the thing is this: when he was there, he was an incredible father to his children and an amazing husband. He was practically my best friend.”
She further said despite her husband’s health challenge, she has not stopped loving him.
“The husband I knew is no longer there for me. This man that is here is someone I still love, but love in a different way,” the veteran actress said.
Jacobs has starred in several local and international television series and films.
He has been hailed by many as one of the greatest and most widely respected African actors of his generation.
Together with Pete Edochie, Jacobs is considered by numerous media, film commentators, critics, and fellow actors to be one of the most influential African actors of all time and is widely regarded as a cultural icon.
He is seen as a bridge between the veteran actors of yesteryears and the new generation in Nigeria’s movie industry, Nollywood.
With over 40 years of acting experience, Jacobs has left an indelible mark. Trained at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in England, he honed his craft working with various repertoire theatres in Britain and featured in several international movies.
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