Pretty actress, Tayo Sobola popularly known as Sotayo Gaga by fans and colleagues in the movie industry has opened up on reasons she had a secret wedding and why she won’t reveal her husband’s identity. 

Pictures of you wearing a wedding gown went viral recently, are you truly married?

Yes, I am married, but the truth is that it’s not recent; I just decided to post the pictures on social media.

How come you didn’t reveal your husband’s identity?

It’s because I wanted to keep my marriage and husband private. I am the star and one who’s popularly known in the movie industry, not my husband. He’s a private person, so there is no point exposing him to the public

Now that you are married, what should we expect from you?

Well, nothing is changing about me. It’s just that I have decided to spread out a little. I just opened my clothing line, Clean Stitches, but a lot of people still don’t believe I own it; some think I just modeled for the brand. Now, we have opened a new branch in Abuja.

Why Abuja, is that where marriage has taken you? 

No, it’s not really because of marriage. I have a home here in Lagos; I also have a house in Abuja. And I have always been traversing Lagos and Abuja, and now that it is time to expand my business tentacles, I then thought of Abuja. Aside the fact that we have our clients all over the world, Abuja people patronise us a lot. If you notice my signature, you will realise that I deal with lots of boubou, and iro and buba, which are mostly rocked by classy or funky women. And trust me, Abuja has them plenty. So, I did my research and came to the conclusion that since I have a landed property there, and my shop too, I will have good sales. So, I made up my mind to open another branch in Abuja.

Are you now fully into fashion and no more acting for Sotayo? 

No. Don’t get me wrong. I am known in the industry already, so I can always go off and on and remain as if I never left. In life, there’s always time and season…there were times we were after fame, now we are after money.

Are you saying that movies are no longer paying your bills? 

Not really, but for now, I want to concentrate on my business. There are some doors that being an actress will open that money might not open. So, both acting and business are paying.

Of recent, one of your colleagues came out to say that she makes millions from acting, that they pay her up to N5 million per role. Could that be true?

Absolutely yes! Why not? Some (producers) can pay you as much as N10 million to feature in a movie, whereas another producer can pay you as low as N200, 000 for the same role. It all depends on your relationship and how you can sell their movie, and how much they have on ground for the production.

From the productions you have done in the past, did you make such money?

So, you think I will invest in a project that will not profit me? Never! Let me tell you a clear truth, I have never produced a movie without making money in return. I am a businesswoman. How can I put my money down and not make profit from it?

There was a time you featured popular cross dresser, Bobrisky, in one of your movies, what informed that decision?

If you know me well, you will know that I don’t discriminate. I have known Bobrisky since he was Idris, and if you watch that movie very well, you will see that I used it to pass a message whereby his ‘younger sister’ was manhandled because of the way he was trying to attract men to himself, and at end of it all, he gave up on that particular habit.

How and where did you meet your husband?

One thing people don’t know is that I have been with my husband for over seven to eight years now.

So, you have been married that long?

No, don’t get me wrong. We have only been married for a couple of months.

Where did both of you meet?

Let me give you that as an assignment to find out. Thank you.

Between compact disc and Netflix, which one do you think brings more profit to the industry? 

Both have their advantages and disadvantages. For the elite, who hardly watch television and can easily access any movie of their choice on their smart phones, they will go for Netflix, YouTube and the rest. For the typical trader, who hardly uses smartphones, they can’t ever rule out compact disc or DVD as we may call it. If I should reason as a business owner, I will go for DVD, but civilization is timeless…everyday we move with new trends.

Would you say your clothing line has changed your dress sense to wearing boubou, iro and buba and abaya kind of clothes?

I can slay iro and buba to the White House. I am someone who likes my comfort, although my mood most times dictates my dressing. But I will choose boubou and iro and buba over any other outfits anytime.

Recently, the Nigerian music industry witnessed a turnaround when Wizkid and Burna Boy won the Grammys, do you think Nollywood movies too can win Oscar?

Why not? There’s nothing that can never happen. You know, the way white people think is not the way we reason. Recently, Davido featured in Hollywood film, Coming To America 2, so who knows what the next move could be.

What do you have to say about Yoruba movies shot with low budget and English movies with high budget and their production quality?

Truly speaking, that’s not the yardstick to determine a low or high budget movie. I can shoot with millions of naira and still have a very bad quality production, while some shoot with hundreds of thousands and get a very good quality job. And I can spend a month on location and still not come up with something good, while some people will spend few days or weeks and come out with a good job. So, all those things don’t determine a good job at all.

So, no more movie roles for Tayo; it’s all about Clean Stitches now?

No, don’t get it twisted; you might see me in politics anytime soon.