Former Big Brother Naija housemate Erica Nlewedim has revealed that she battled serious anxiety and sought therapy after facing years of constant insults and criticism following her time on the reality show. The actress and reality star opened up about her mental health struggles, noting that the trolling from fans and social media users took a significant toll on her well-being.
Struggling with Anxiety and Trolling
Speaking about her post-show experience, Erica admitted that while she is grateful for the opportunities the show brought, the relentless online abuse affected her deeply. She explained that she didn't realize the impact until after three years of continuous insults. "I am happy I did it (BBN) because it changed my life, money-wise and all of that. I had to see a therapist afterwards. At first, I didn’t know it was getting to me until after like three years of back-to-back insults. If I open Instagram and see notifications, I will be like, 'Are they dragging me for something again?' I was always anxious, and I didn’t like that," she said.
Erica also addressed the common criticism that celebrities should be used to trolling, dismissing it as unreasonable. "They are like, 'Oh, you signed up for this, or you should be used to it by now.' One shouldn’t be used to insults or trolling because they are celebrities," she added. Her anxiety became so overwhelming that she decided to take a break from acting in 2024, describing it as her "quiet time." She revealed, "2024 was my quiet time. I didn’t act on any movie; I just decided to take a break in 2024. It was just last year that I decided to start coming back."
Facing Criticism from Nollywood
Beyond social media trolling, Erica spoke about the dismissive treatment she received from some members of the Nigerian movie industry because of her background as a Big Brother Naija star. She said some producers cast her in lead roles mainly to attract her fans, not because they believed in her talent. "Before I went for Big Brother in 2019, I went to film school in London and I came back thinking I was going to take over, and then Covid happened. So, I had to go for Big Brother. I was already acting before Big Brother, but most of the characters I played were not lead roles. But after Big Brother, they would put me as the lead and be like it’s only because they want my fans to buy the tickets that they put me in a lead role. It was just all about, you can’t do this. That’s all I kept hearing, and then some producers would be like they put us because they need our fans to come and watch the movie and they would say it to my face. At some point, it just broke me, and that’s why I took a break in 2024. The hardest time was 2023," she recounted.
Career and Aftermath
Erica was one of the housemates on the 2020 Lockdown edition of Big Brother Naija. Her time on the show attracted significant attention, particularly because of her relationship with fellow housemate Kiddwaya and her clashes with Laycon. She was later disqualified from the show after breaking several house rules. Despite the controversies that followed her exit, Erica has built a career in acting, modelling, and entertainment. Her revelation sheds light on the mental health challenges that public figures often face, and her decision to take a break underscores the importance of prioritizing well-being over career pressures.
