Drama is cooking in the entertainment world, and this time, it’s not about a movie, it’s about a missed DM. Nollywood actress Wumi Toriola has publicly called out celebrity chef and food blogger Chef T (Tolani Tayo-Osikoya) for ignoring her request to collaborate on a cooking show.
The controversy began when Toriola shared a screenshot of an unopened DM she sent to Chef T in August 2024, requesting to appear on one of her cooking episodes as part of a promotional push for her film debut.
In the message, she wrote:
“Good morning, sis. I have been a lover of your page for a while. I don’t know if any of your cooking episodes is coming soon. Would love to feature as my cinema debut is coming in September, me wearing a t-shirt of it while cooking on one of your episodes. I don’t know if and how it works with you.”
After receiving no response, Toriola took to Instagram to accuse Chef T of distancing herself from others since gaining popularity.
“Chef T @diaryofakitchenlover feels she doesn’t need anyone again. Na only she grow her grow. Shey na December me sef come out????” she wrote.
In another post, she praised people who, despite their success, still engage in collaborations.
“Shout out to great people who have grown and still maintain healthy collaborations…”
Before Toriola’s post went viral, reports surfaced that Funke Akindele had unfollowed Chef T on Instagram, allegedly because the chef refused to promote her movie. Though Akindele has not publicly addressed the situation, the timing fueled speculation that the actress might have experienced a similar snub
Reacting to the controversy, popular food critic Opeyemi Famakin came to Chef T’s defense, calling out Toriola for expecting a guaranteed response.
“There is an actress dragging Chef T after reaching out for a collaboration, and because she didn’t get a response, Chef T is now a bad person, according to her,” he wrote on Instagram.
Famakin argued that no one is entitled to a collaboration and praised Chef T for her contributions to the food industry.
“We don’t do Chef T slander here; she’s a sweetheart. In the food space, she is positively contributing, and I’m not going to stand and watch an actress drag her over a collaboration she did not get.”
Adding to the conversation, Popular tech creators Kagan Tech also weighed in on the controversy, stating that Wumi Toriola was asking for free PR, not a collaboration.
“Not everyone is open to collaborations, and that’s fine. But going on social media to complain because someone didn’t respond? What exactly does that prove? You asked for free PR for your movie something that doesn’t benefit her in any way and now you’re upset because she didn’t reply?” he said in a video discussing the issue.
Unfazed by the backlash, Toriola responded with a strongly worded post directed at Famakin.
“Dear Opeyemi, there’s really no need to act like a coward. My name is Wumi Toriola, and I’m merely responding to your tantrums and desperate need for attention.”
She went on to criticize his credibility as a food critic.
“If it brings you even a shred of relevance, I truly don’t mind. It’s rather amusing, though, coming from someone without a defined career or any tangible job description. You’ve caused more harm than good to struggling entrepreneurs, all under the guise of being a self-appointed food critic.”
The entire situation has divided social media users. While some argue that influencers and content creators should support one another, others believe that no one should feel pressured to collaborate.
With Chef T remaining silent, the debate continues: Should influencers and celebrities be expected to collaborate, or is this just unnecessary drama?