Nollywood actress and filmmaker Adunni Ade announced on Monday, October 19, 2026, that her mother has died.
Adunni Ade said her mother died on Sunday, October 18. She shared the news on Instagram with a photograph of her mother. She wrote that her mother “returned to her Creator after a long battle with illness.” She did not name her mother, give her age, state the illness or say where she died.
She revealed that her mother leaves behind children, grandchildren, sisters and other loved ones. She asked God to forgive her mother’s shortcomings and show her mercy. She also asked for comfort for the family. “Grant us sabr and strength as we navigate this painful loss,” she wrote. She ended the post with a message to her mother: “Mum, I love you.”
The family has not announced funeral plans. “Details of the funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course,” Ade wrote.
By about 3 p.m. on Monday, the post had about 3,100 comments and 400 reposts. Nollywood colleagues, including Taaooma and Mercy Aigbe, sent condolences.
Ade was born Adunni Adewale in Queens, New York, to a Yoruba Nigerian father and a German-Irish mother. Fans have often remarked on how closely she resembles her mother.
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She studied accounting at the University of Kentucky and worked in the housing and insurance sectors in the United States before moving to acting. She made her Nollywood debut in 2013 in the film You or I. She has since appeared in more than 250 films in English and Yoruba.
In 2017, she received an AMVCA nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in It’s Her Day. In 2021, she started the production company Lou-Ellen Clara Company Limited. She has two sons.
