Yvonne Nelson Banned From Acting

Peacefmonline.com can authoritatively say that for the first time in Ghana, an actress has been hit with a total movie starring blackout. Sexy Ghanaian actress Yvonne Nelson has been banned from acting in any Ghanaian or Nigerian-produced movie for a year.

The Gangly Ghallywood actress who is perceived to be arrogant has given movie producers, distributors, and marketers no choice than to use her as a scape goat to initiate their attempt to bring some sanity and respect in the movie industry.

Peacefmonline.com investigations into the matter reveals that Yvonne’s ban is based on accumulation of several alleged incidents of her disrespectful and rude attitude towards fellow actresses, producers and crew members on location and even when off-camera.

Alhaji Abdul Salam Mumuni, C.E.O of Venus Films Productions, who filed the complaint which culminated in the ban being placed on Yvonne, confirmed the issue to peacefmonline. According to Salam, the “Heart of Men” actress has over-step the boundaries of propriety and therefore needs to be brought to order to serve as a deterrent to others.

“She doesn’t respect,” was Alhaji Salam's curt reply when asked why that severe action against her.

He explained that there have been series of complaints about Yvonne’s insulting behavior and lack of respect on set. The latest incident which broke the camel's back, occurred some few weeks ago during the shooting of the new movie by Venus Films Productions titled; “4play Reloaded”.

He narrated that Yvonne Nelson got ‘mad’ on set and hurled invectives at virtually everybody including himself (Abdul Salam) and production manager Roger Quartey, because she was supposed to shoot a scene with Jackie Appiah, but Jackie had absented herself by seeking permission to attend a social event. Jackie was billed to appear as a guest judge at the just ended Miss Malaika 2010 finals which was live on TV. Yvonne therefore refused to shoot the scene alone and even when Jackie was ready, she was still adamant.

“When Yvonne realized that Jackie couldn’t come, Roger called Yvonne and told her that the shooting had been postponed to the next day. But Yvonne furiously stated that if Jackie was absent then she would also not turn up the next day...I decided to go and talk to her myself and all of a sudden she hit the roof and began shouting at me, Roger and everybody who attempted to calm her down,” Salam disclosed.

True to her words, Yvonne failed to appear on set the following day, even though she had been paid fully, thus compelling Venus Films to release the movie without Yvonne in that particular scene.

“That is what she did to me, she doesn’t respect, she feels she is on top, she doesn’t even remember where she came from...When she started (acting) she didn’t even know what close-up shot was and today she feels like she is on top,” the Venus Films CEO fumed. As a result, Abdul Salam and other producers who have suffered similar fate at the hands of the actress, together with the backing of Film Producers Association, Marketers Association, Distributors Association and other affiliated bodies, have placed a one year ban on her and cut her off completely from starring in any movie, shot or marketed in Ghana and/or Nigeria.

Peacefmonline.com spoke to Roger Quartey who is a member of the Film Producers Association of Ghana, who confirmed the incident adding that Yvonne was abusive towards him on the day of the incident.

“She was disrespectful to me, Abdul Salam and many others. She was rude on location because Jackie failed to come on set. She also decided not to partake in any more shots and truly she didn’t come despite the countless phone calls I placed to her...On the day of the incident when I complained about her rude attitude, she started exchanging words with me, so Salam came in and it turned into something else. That was just below the belt,” Roger stated.

He revealed that they reached a consensus to make the ban official after a meeting held last Tuesday, November 16, 2010.

The ban, which took effect from October 2010, ends on October 2011.

Meanwhile, word has also been sent to Film Producers in Nigeria not to starr Yvonne in any of their productions if they want to market their movies in Ghana since any Nigerian movie that starrs the Ghanaian actress will not be allowed to be marketed in the country.

In a related development, the Public Relations Officer of the Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG), Socrate Safo, has also confirmed the ban as true, saying it is one of the many measures that the stakeholders in the movie industry are implementing to restore order and respect for all.

Speaking to peacefmonline in an interview, Socrate disclosed that five different associations including FIPAG, Marketers, Distributors amongst others, will converge at Akosombo on Wednesday, November 24, 2010, for a 2-day consultative meeting to deliberate on serious issues affecting the movie industry, and was confident that Yvonne’s case will crop up.

Efforts by 'yours truly' to reach Yvonne Nelson for her reaction proved futile as she 'refused' to answer her phone despite repeated calls placed to her.