EXCLUSIVE: What Transpired Between Myself & My Senior Colleague, Zubby Michael - Nollywood Actor, 042PrinceJay.

Zubby Michael & 042PrinceJay.

The supposed fight or should we call it quarrel between Nollywood actor, Zubby Michael and his younger colleague, Johnson Ogbu, known in the industry as 042PrinceJay is one this platform can describe as something 'taken out of proportion' as the video, now gone viral depicted an exact opposite of what the real situation was.

                                           

According to information available to "Precious Eze's Blog", the video in circulation was captured by the director of the movie, Ikechukwu Nweke for which both Zubby and Johnson were contracted to feature in as elder and junior brothers respectively, as it is in real life between the both of them.

The movie, 'VIOLENT PEACE" was written and directed by Ikechukwu Nweke and as both were delivering on the script, the director had to use his phone to capture a scene in process as they were acting and posted same on his Social Media handles. Nigerians saw the captured video and misconstrued it, with diverse meanings given to it, which got the lead character, Zubby inferiorated. 

But the man in the eye of the storm, 042PrinceJay says he would never in anytime, form or shape be rude to someone like Zubby Michael whom he sees as not only a role model, but an elder brother in the industry, though the issue had gone out of hand already with individuals giving their own side of the story with varied interpretations being given to a job the both of them delivered seamlessly. There is therefore need for us not to pour kerosine in the already burning fire with suggestive speculations but to speak with Zubby Michael to forgive Johnson Ogbu as the elder brother he sees in him and as one learning the ropes from him.

As it is customary, "Precious Eze's Blog" reached out to the man in the eye of the storm and he spoke exclusively to us on these issues and more.

It all started when we were shooting a particular family story titled “Violence Peace, I played Zubby Michael’s younger brother who is the second son and other of our two younger brothers. We were both married and I married a bad wife who cast a spell on me to be obeying everything she says and causing problems in the family.

My character in the story is very distressed and aggressive. I’m always having issues and fighting every member of our family. So we shot a scene that the script wrote that the two brothers must fight. My wicked wife manipulated me to withdraw money from our family companies account without any body’s consent and Zubby who’s character name is Roland came back after noticing what I did, shouting my name with a file in his hand, I came out and he asked me why I went to withdraw money from our companies account which I responded to him that I am the second son of the family and have the right to do whatsoever.

Then he slapped me, I pushed him and he slapped me again. That made me return the slap. We finished the scene and everyone was happy about the scene because it was so real. Zubby Michael and I shook hands, the director, Ikechukwu Nweke told me he recorded it and he showed it to me,  He later posted it on his Instagram page.

He posted it twice and even pined it to his page before he transferred it to me and I posted it and when I was posting he said I shouldn’t tag Zubby Michael though I had wanted to. The next day I was still cool with Zubby, we even ate from the same plate and drank together and the video was trending online, I met him at his hotel pool side telling him not to mind bloggers and fans that they are trying to bring problem. 

It wasn’t until a day before yesterday which was on the 7th October he (Zubby Michael) called me and was asking me, “042 why did you beat me in the movie”? I said I didn’t beat you sir. He said that he’s my elder brother in the movie that if the script says that I beat him? That I want to use him and shine, that if I don’t know that he is spiritual? That he will never forgive me that I should come and shine let him see nah and dropped the call. Few minutes later, another senior colleague of mine whom I also respect, Destiny Etiko made a post on her page saying that “IT TAKES A LOT TO BE AN A-LIST SUPER STAR, RESPECT YOUR SENIOR COLLEAGUES AND STOP CLAIMING WHAT YOU ARE NOT” and Zubby Michael went and commented with “THAT ONE CARRIER WEY DON FINISH” and I later discovered he blocked me immediately on his Instagram.

So, I have seen all the blog posts and various online reports with some people insinuating that it was was a fight between myself and my senior colleague, Zubby Michael as it is being misunderstood by the public and misinterpreted as a real fight. It is concerning which it wasn’t at all.

The assumption is not the case.  Many concerned colleagues, fans, industry watchers, allied professional platforms and creative industries gate keepers have expressed their concerns about remarks and unguarded comments being made by individuals who are not aware that the video being shared online is nothing but a make believe extract from a movie in the making.

The comments my attention is being drawn to suggest that such remarks if not checked could result in a negative escalation of what ordinarily ought to be a professional job well done to enhance the quality of movie making stunts.  Some persons have gone ahead trying to create a rift between myself and my senior brother and industry boss by making it appear as though I was disrespectful in interpreting my role to the satisfaction of the director and thereby trying to create bad blood between us.  

I make this statement to clear all doubts that I am in no way disrespectful to the person of Zubby Michael, whom I regard highly as not only my senior colleague, but my elder brother and will do no such thing.

If the trending video of this make believe fight is causing any embarrassment to his person or personality, I am truly sorry about that and wish to state that we are not in any way at war with each other and there is no beef contrary to what some individuals are trying to project.

I therefore ask the public to discountenance any insinuation that there is more to the circulating video than what the working actors experience in the line of duty and state once again that  Zubby Michael is and will remain my elder brother and a senior colleague in the industry and I render my profound apology to him if he felt embarrassed by the action portrayed in the video.