Ireti Osayemi (nee Bakare, born 14 January 1982; Age: 42 years old) is a beautiful Nigerian actress and television personality best known for her role in Yoruba indigenous movies: Ojo Meta, Iseju Meji (Two Minutes), and Ifé Owó (The Love of Money).
Ireti is no doubt one of the most versatile Nollywood actresses with top-notch acting styles. She gracefully set herself apart among her peers in the industry with her ability to excellently deliver scripts and interpret roles. So, in addition to making financial success, the actress has been rewarded with awards from various bodies. To know more about the beautiful and quite resourceful lady, enjoy the facts we have to share with you.
Ireti Osayemi’s Biography Summary
- Full name: Iretiola Osayemi
- Nickname: Ireti
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: January 14, 1982
- Ireti Osayemi’s Age: 42 years old
- Ethnicity: Yoruba
- Nationality: Nigerian
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Married
- Ireti Osayemi’s Husband: Bakare (Bakky) Adeoye
- Ireti Osayemi’s Children: Seun and Tobi
- Ireti Osayemi’s Net worth: $600,000
- Famous for: Yoruba actress
- Ireti Osayemi’s Instagram: @iretiosayemi
The 42-Year-Old Ireti Osayemi Hails from Lagos State, Nigeria
Ireti was born on January 14, 1982, to her Yoruba parents who resided in Liberia where they equally raised her before relocating to their home state, Lagos, Nigeria, during the Liberian civil war that lasted between 1989 and 1997.
The actress has not revealed much about her birth family but she once mentioned that she has an elder brother who was into stage play productions and who first led her to the path of movie-making.
Upon relocating to Lagos state in 1991, Ireti had her secondary education at Ajumoni Secondary School in Lagos State after which she gained admission into Lagos State University where she bagged a bachelor’s degree in economics.
Ireti Osayemi Began Acting at the Age of 17
Ireti had always loved arts and had talked about pursuing it as a career in her teenage years. Fortunately, her elder brother, who was already in the business of stage play productions offered her the chance to meet with top celebrities in the Nigerian movie industry whom she had admired. She went with her brother to Weenies Hotel at Bankole Folawiyo, Surulere, Lagos, and that simple move further sparked her desire to take up acting as a career.
One of the top-notch personalities in the industry she met was Emeka Duru- a Production Manager and movie producer who told her that he was shooting a movie about campus life and that she best fit the profile that he wanted. She was offered a role hence her debut in Nollywood films.
Ireti’s professional acting career started with the English-speaking movie Cassanova, but subsequently, she began to receive more roles in Yoruba-speaking movies, hence her appearance in more Yoruba movies. However, Ireti says she is open to movies of other genres – Igbo inclusive.
She features in both Yoruba and English-speaking movies and have worked with the likes of Odunlade Adekola, Funke Akindele, and Eniola Badmus. Since her emergence into the movie industry, Ireti Osayemi has featured in over 50 Yoruba-speaking movies alongside prominent actors like Lateef Adedimeji, Funke Akindele-Bello, Mercy Aigbe, Odunlade Adekola, and Iyabo Ojo.
Her rise to fame followed the release of the 2016 Yoruba movie Ojo Meta. She is well known for her performance in the movie, which earned her not just a deserving rise to fame but also an award.
Ireti Osayemi’s Movies and TV Shows Include:
- The Return of Jenifa,
- Heavy Storm,
- The Vendor
- Ajebidan
- Jenifa,
- Tomo Tiya,
- Squad Twenty-threw
- Iseju Meji (Two Minutes),
- Jejere
- The Interview
- Baby Shower
- Tales of Eve
- Atanpako Meta
- Olo
- Towo Tomo
- Odu
- Ifé Owó (The Love of Money)
- Heavy Storm
- Oreke Mulero
- Adayetan
- Liberian Girl
- Nothing for Nothing
- Total Disgrace
- Torn Apart
- Yes, I Don’t
- Beyond Disability
- Akobi Okunrin
- Ghetto Bred
For her performance in Ojo Meta Ireti won the Best of Nollywood Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2020, she was nominated for the same award in a similar category. A list of her awards and nominations include the following:
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the African Movie Academy
- Best Supporting Actress (Yoruba) at the Golden Icon Movie Academy Awards
- Best Indigenous Actress in a leading role at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards
- Best Yoruba Actress at Afro Hollywood Awards.
Ireti Osayemi is Married to a Co-Actor Bakky Adeoye
In 2008, Ireti got married to a Nollywood actor and producer named Bakare (Bakky) Adeoye. Further details about him and their love life cannot be found but the two apparently met in the movie industry and had lived together for a while before agreeing to settle down in marriage.
However, a recent rumor had it that they had separated. The rumor further claimed that the actress left her marriage following her husband’s financial challenges majorly caused by his dwindling career in the entertainment industry. She was purported to have left in 2017 and reconciled with him in 2020.
Meanwhile, the thespian has repeatedly debunked the rumor, labeling it as just a lie spread by rumor mongers. On her 40th birthday in January 2022, her husband Bakky Adeoye showered her with prayers and love while wishing her a successful year ahead.
How Many Children Does Ireti Osayemi Have?
Ireti Osayemi and her husband, Bakky Adeoye, are blessed with two children – Seun and Tobi. The couple welcomed their first child in 2007 before they were married, and they welcomed their second child in 2009. Further information regarding her children cannot be found as the actress and her husband have chosen to keep them away from the public eye. Meanwhile, Ireti is fond of sharing their pictures on her various social media accounts. She describes them as her fashion police.
Has Ireti Osayemi Retired From Acting?
Contrary to the rumour circulating about Ireti Osayemi retiring from acting, the thespian is still very much active in the Nigerian film industry. With over a decade years of experience in the industry, Ireti has grown from being just an actress to being a movie producer like her husband.
One of the biggest films she has produced is the 2021 Yoruba movie Folashayo, which features her alongside Odunlade Adekola, Ifedayo Rufai, Wasiu Owoiya, and Bakare Zainab. Some of Ireti Osayemi’s latest films include “Ebun”, “Idande”, “Alani Omo Iya Osogbo”, and “Itakun”.