VIDEO: Actor Femi Branch accused of assaulting crew member on movie set
Nollywood actor Femi Branch has been accused of assaulting a crew member on a movie set during a production in Lagos.
In a video making the rounds online, the actor was confronted by the alleged victim’s colleagues who, according to reports, demanded an apology before filming could continue.
To protest the alleged action of the actor who reportedly stood his ground and refused to apologise, the crew locked the location gate in solidarity with their colleague.
Narrating how he was assaulted, the victim, an Assistant Director, said, “I was hitting the door for them to open because the DP wanted to go out and confirm the frame. When Femi Branch shouted they were filming, I questioned what they were filming when the DP and 1st AD were still inside.”
ALSO READ: Being a celebrity means nothing to me – Patrick Doyle
What began as a routine disagreement quickly escalated as the actor allegedly started hurling insults at the Assistant Director, telling him his “head is incorrect.”
The Assistant Director, in response, pushed back, reminding Branch of his authority to halt filming if necessary.
This reportedly enraged the actor as he asked who the Assistant Director was to talk back to him. “As he came inside shouting at me, I told him he can’t intimidate me and that I was well within my rights that was when he hit me,” the Assistant Director recounted.
According to eyewitnesses, the altercation, which got physical stunned the crew, who quickly rallied to support their colleague.
However, after wrapping the scene, they moved to their next location at Lekki Conservation Centre, where filming came to a standstill with the crew demanding that Branch issue an apology before filming could resume.
“When he arrived at the new location and was asked to apologise, he refused and tried to leave,” the Assistant Director explained. “The crew locked the gate to prevent him from escaping.”
ALSO READ: Jigan Babaoja on resilience and rising above body-shaming
