Yvonne Nelson is a popular actress and movie producer
Fashion entrepreneur and red carpet personality Nana Akua Addo made headlines after firing back at actress Yvonne Nelson over a criticism she made back in 2017, but what exactly did Yvonne Nelson say that lit the fuse nearly a decade later?
In an Instagram post on June 10, 2026, Nana Akua Addo referenced a July 24, 2017, publication by Modern Ghana headlined "Ghana celebrities only think of how to slay on red carpets - Yvonne Nelson," arguing that what was once dismissed as vanity has since become a thriving pillar of Ghana's creative economy.
So what was Yvonne Nelson's original position?
Yvonne Nelson slams director of Golden Movie Awards Africa, slay queens
The actress, known for her outspoken commentary on Ghana's entertainment industry, went on a public rant in 2017 after watching a colleague give what she described as an embarrassing interview on live television at the 2017 edition of the Golden Movie Awards, which was held in Accra.
Frustrated, she had taken to Twitter (now known as X) to address what she saw as a broader rot in the industry; celebrities were more invested in their appearance at events than in the health of the content they were supposed to be producing.
"The industry has so lost its way, and they can't even see it," Yvonne Nelson wrote at the time. "They're all going in that direction. Dressing up to be posted on social media."
She argued that the same energy poured into curating red carpet looks and chasing social media posts was energy being drained away from actual production.
Her post was part of a series of rants where she also responded to comments by Mimi Andani, director of the Golden Movie Awards Africa (GMAA), who, in an interview in May 2017, blamed ‘actors turned producers’ for the falling standards in the Ghanaian movie industry.
She took aim at the phenomenon of celebrities reinventing themselves across multiple industries without mastering any, a jab at Mimi Andani, who she described as a "reality star turned musician turned designer turned event organizer."
"Waiting for the day there's no production to nominate since that has skipped them. Truthfully, y'all know there's no work," she warned.
For many who read Yvonne Nelson’s posts, her message was for industry stakeholders to prioritise getting Ghanaian content out to the world rather than ‘slaying’ on red carpets.
In 2022, the Golden Movie Awards were held for the last time, with Mimi Andani explaining in 2024 that it was due to her messy divorce.
Although Yvonne Nelson's 2017 comments were not specifically aimed at Nana Akua Addo or the red carpet culture itself, nine years later in 2026, Nana Akua Addo posted a screenshot of the story with the caption, "I understood, long before many did, that the red carpet was more than appearances; it was business, branding, storytelling, economic opportunity, and job creation for young creatives."
See the posts below:
A reality star...turned musician.....turned designer.....turned event organizer!!! Well she's doing something with her life.
— 𝓨𝓿𝓸𝓷𝓷𝓮 𝓝𝓮𝓵𝓼𝓸𝓷 (@yvonnenelsongh) July 23, 2017
This is meant for those with foresight !!Those who don't only wake up and think about slaying but about getting Ghanaian content out there!
— 𝓨𝓿𝓸𝓷𝓷𝓮 𝓝𝓮𝓵𝓼𝓸𝓷 (@yvonnenelsongh) July 23, 2017
When an industry doesn't know its priorities, this is what happens!!!! The shallow minds will def have a problem with this.
— 𝓨𝓿𝓸𝓷𝓷𝓮 𝓝𝓮𝓵𝓼𝓸𝓷 (@yvonnenelsongh) July 23, 2017
The industry has so lost it's way and they can't even see it, they all going in that direction. Dressing up to be posted on SM.
— 𝓨𝓿𝓸𝓷𝓷𝓮 𝓝𝓮𝓵𝓼𝓸𝓷 (@yvonnenelsongh) July 23, 2017
Waiting for the day there's no production to nominate since that has skipped them!
— 𝓨𝓿𝓸𝓷𝓷𝓮 𝓝𝓮𝓵𝓼𝓸𝓷 (@yvonnenelsongh) July 23, 2017
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