BEVERLY HILLS, March 15, (THEWILL) – Last week, actor cum comedian, Ayo Makun, more popularly known as AY, slammed Thisday newspaper with a defamation suit, demanding N1 billion in compensation for a publication he alleged was aimed at tarnishing his image. AY had through his attorneys, Pentagon Partners, also sent a cease and desist to the newspaper for the publication dated Sunday 21st February 2021 and titled, PR Job Gone Sour: Why Friends Of Belema Oil Founder, Tein Jack Rich, Aren’t Happy With AY The Comedian.
The story was about the viral news of actress, Destiny Etiko’s latest acquisition, a 2017 model of Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. The purchase however came under intense scrutiny on social media with an allegation that the car was a gift from Nigerian businessman, Tein Jack-Rich, a claim both she and Jack-Rich denied. Despite this, the scrutiny over the purchase of the car intensified when more alleged evidences purportedly proving that the car was from married Jack-Rich emerged. And then came claims by some bloggers that they were being contacted by the businessman to do ‘image laundering’ on his behalf over the car saga.
Following the publication by Thisday that AY was contracted to do the ‘image laundering’ job, which he allegedly failed to do, the comedian slammed the newspaper a N1 billion defamation suit, asking the paper to do the needful or meet him in court.
The newspaper on March 7 was forced to publish a retraction. While the retraction confirmed that the said publication did not undergo editorial appraisal and urged the public to disregard the story, AY is miffed that the newspaper did not deem it fit to apologise to him despite his request. He says the retraction failed to meet his demand about it being on the front page as well as other requests he made. But more important is the fact that the said publication can still be found online. To this end, AY has instructed his lawyers to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion to ensure his legitimate legal demands are met.
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