US-based Nigerian controversial soft-porn star, Judith Mazagwu, popularly known as Afrocandy, has been in the country for a while now. The mother of two girls is in the country to put finishing touches to her new film, Queen of Zamunda.
In this engaging interview, AfroCandy breaks her silence on a number of issues surrounding her life and career as an entertainer. She also explains why she went online to beg for her daughter’s school fees as well as reasons for her breakup with her former husband, and more
You look more pretty in real life than on screen despite having had two kids?
A lot of people commend my good looks whenever they meet me in person. I don’t know why it’s like that.
What has been your experience so far in the movie industry?
I’ve been on and off. I started acting right here in the country, before I relocated to the United States.
I did a lot of movies and a couple of commercials before I left the shores of the country. When I got to the United States, I wanted to do a lot of things. But it wasn’t easy. My ex-husband wanted me to do all kinds of menial jobs which I did, such as security jobs. At a point, I went back to acting. I registered with some production companies.
Why are you in the country?
I’m in the country to produce my next movie and we’re about to start auditioning. The title of the movie is Queen of Zamunda. Some people were commenting negatively on the social network and that’s why I decided to charge people to be part of my movie.
I’m not actually charging any fee for the audition. Rather, it is a kind of registration to be a member of my company. My company is a reputable company registered in the US, Invisible Twins Production LLC. You don’t expect me to come here to produce a movie and I won’t charge for registration.
The fact is, people will pay to be members and that gives you access to most of my productions. You just pay that one time and before you know it, you start getting paid to act in my movies. The movie I’m about to produce is an epic movie and I might need over one thousand cast; the villagers, warriors, slaves and so on. It hasn’t been easy.
Back in the US, when I started, I registered with some production companies, you have to pay these companies to partake in their productions. I did all kinds of extra and background roles, then I got tired of it, couple with the fact that my ex-husband was giving me so much stress.
Why do people describe you as a controversial actress?
It depends on what they mean. Everything I do seems controversial to people. Sometimes, I’m just being me, just being real. This is because I don’t care whatever anybody would say about me. I’m just expressing myself and doing my own thing. To people, I’m controversial.
Are you doing porn movies in order to seek attention?
I don’t do porn movies, though our people call it porn movie, But it’s not porn, it’s just a regular movie and if you watch the movie, you will realise that it also has a storyline.
But what message do you convey to people through your movies?
Most times, I don’t really do movies to convey messages to the audience. It’s mainly to entertain the viewers. But if you pay a keen attention, you’ll notice there’s a message’s it’s conveying. It all depends on how you understand the message because we all interpret things differently.
Is it true you had difficulties paying your daughter’s school fees, such that you had to seek financial support online?
I posted something like that on the internet and I had a reason for doing it. I don’t know if I should actually talk about it. If I do, my daughter might not take me seriously again. What happened was that my daughter got admission into several universities and these are Ivy League Universities. She turned down the major ones I wanted her to accept.
A university in Connecticut gave her full scholarship and she turned it down because it was four hours drive from home.
She’s an Honours student. She had an Honour group and they all agreed to go to Connecticut together, later the others opted out.
And because she doesn’t want to be lonely, and that’s why she wanted to go to another school.
But she didn’t have a scholarship for that one. So, I decided to pull a stunt, it wasn’t that I was broke. I can’t be broke. I’m Afrocandy, I’m a star.
When you have an Abraham as a father, you can’t be broke. I only need to make phone calls and I get all the money I need. Am I not Afrocandy, why would I beg? When I posted the request online, my fans were mad at me. I explained to them that I just wanted to pull a stunt.
I wanted to make my daughter accept the scholarship. I wanted to use one stone to kill two birds. I felt that if I did it and raise money, fine. If I don’t, no problem. I could use the money to buy wigs.
Did you relocate to the United States to avoid criticism at home?
I’ve been in the United States before the whole controversy started. When I was living in Nigeria, I wasn’t controversial. I was just a regular actress. If you watch my other movies, you’ll even be like”What! Is that Afrocandy?”. Then I was still married, so I was keeping it low.
We heard your ex-husband recently came back to beg you. Is it true?
This happened after my daughter turned 19, in May. That was also her prom, so I posted her prom pictures, I don’t know if they saw it. So, they started calling, even his sisters called requesting to speak to my daughter. I was like”After how many years?” After much persuasion and being the good Nigerian woman that I am, I allowed them to talk to her.
That was it. My daughter did her graduation and we went together, before then I wasn’t talking with my husband. When he calls, I just give the phone to my daughters. But after the graduation ceremony, he said he wanted to talk to me. I was shocked and from there we started talking.
He said, he wants to come back. I’m not going to tell you what’s going to happen, but just watch out. He’s taking care of the kids right now.
I lived here alone for thirteen years before I joined him. He used to visit home once in a while. Something happened between me and somebody that used to come close. But when I joined him in the US, I put all that behind me. I wanted to move forward. Some gossips cropped up, someone called him and told him, then he jumped out of the house. That was how we broke up.
I called him back, begging and he came back. After three months, he disappeared again, expecting me to come begging again. But I told him, “I wouldn’t do that again.” I’m not going to do that again”. Now he’s back, he told me the truth that he actually thought I was going to come back to beg him. That he never left, he was watching me. And instead of me to come back and beg him, I went wild. He doesn’t mind that anyway.
How do you handle motherhood?
When I’m in the house, I’m a strict mother. When I’m with my children, I’m a different person, a mother to the core.
I’m the kind of mother that when I look at you, without saying anything or hitting you, you must behave yourself. When the whole break-up thing happened, my first daughter was in middle school and she had some friends and she wanted to start some funny things. If I wasn’t a strong woman, I would have lost her then.
I went to her school and I beat her up. The whole school was shocked. The principal called me to his office, saying he hasn’t seen anything like that. And I said, “What are you going to do, call the police? You want me to allow my daughter go haywire and then she ends up in a rehab or welfare home?’’ I don’t joke when it comes to raising my children. Afrocandy is a stage thing, when I get home, I’m a different person.
How is Judith Mazagwu different from the Afrocandy we know?
There’s not much difference, it’s still the same person. If you watch my movies, you’ll find out that the same way I’m talking to you now is the same way I talk in my movies. The difference is anyone you need. I’ll give it to you. It’s all in me.
I have to exhibit what suits the situation or the moment. If it’s time to be a mother, I’ll be a mother; when it’s time to go crazy, I go crazy. There was a time, people were accusing that I do smoke and drink before hitting the set. But I don’t drink or smoke. One thing about me is that when I take alcohol I begin to add weight.
If you see me in some videos smoking, it’s not real am just puffing. But I don’t need to get high to do anything . I only need to be myself. Two things that makes me high; happiness and anger.
What does sex mean to you?
Sex is just a natural thing; it’s something everybody loves to do once in a while. Everybody has sex.
How do you feel being tagged a porn star?
I’m enjoying it. Since they see me as a porn star. Okay! I’m a porn star, the only porn star in Nigeria. I’m fine with it. But I’m only asking anybody who is calling me a porn star, to please show me any porn movie I’ve done before now. This is because I haven’t watched my porn before.
What about your daughters?
They know. They read all the comments on the internet and they laugh at our backwardness and ignorance as Nigerians.
Do you mean those sex scenes on screen are not real?
I never answer that question. The press have been trying to make me open up. But I never did. Even my sponsors don’t know how it was done. I played those roles perfectly that you can’t tell if it’s real or fake.
Why are your movies not endorsed for viewing in Nigeria?
They don’t need to be endorsed, endorsement is just in writing. My movies don’t need to be endorsed for viewing.
What are you working on presently?
Like I said earlier, I’m working on my epic movie, Queen of Zamunda, and that’s why I’m in the country. I’m also in the studio recording new song tracks. I’m going to blow people away with it.
Are you still playing music?
I took a break to concentrate on my movie project, Destructive Instinct. The last track I did was No time for Haters. Soon, my video Juju Woman will be on air. I’m coming back because I see that a lot of new girls are really working hard to take over from me.
How did you come about the name, Afrocandy?
I started answering the name when I got to the United States. I was usually referred to as Eye-candy. Most Nigerians over there thought I was American. Later, I thought about it, that since I was regarded as an eye-candy to most people, especially Africans in diaspora, I could go with the name African Candy. That’s how Afrocandy came about.
Any memorable experience as an actress?
The only experience I had so far was when some guys would start jerking off while talking to me on the telephone. Even some men would call me and start negotiating how much they would pay to have sex with me. I would just start laughing at them. Men are like babies, little things get to their brains.
I’m in showbiz, so I just do things to entertain people. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re open to everybody and you want to have sex with every Tom, Dick and Harry. No, it’s not a national cake. All I do is entertain, so that when you see it, you feel good.
Which part of your body is the sexiest to you?
To me, my whole body is sexy. I don’t have any specific part I’ll say is the sexiest.
Did you enhance your boobs?
I’ve always been like this.
Would you say life has been fair to you?
I’ve been through hell right from my mother’s womb. I was born a twin. My twin sister was killed when we were young by my father’s tenant. She couldn’t kill me because I was too strong for her. She avoided me like a plague. Life hasn’t been easy, but no matter what, I still thank God that we are still breathing. I believe it will get better.
Do you find fulfilled being an entertainer?
Yes, at least I’m doing what makes me happy.
Don’t let anybody censor or define your lifestyle?
I just do what I feel like doing. I don’t care if people like it or not. But I know they’ll start liking it later. A time will come when people will have no choice, than to accept you the way you are. It’s better than being a fake.
Which of your films do you consider as most successful and rewarding to you?
It’s Destructive Instinct . The film has broken a lot of new ground. I’ve done some low budget movies which I produced with other film makers. So, I wasn’t given full credit to those movies.
You once described Ini Edo and Mercy Johnson as being kids compared to you?
I never said they were children. I only made references. Though they started acting about the same time I did. But I remember, when I used to go to the National Theatre for auditions, I was already a big girl who was driving a car.
