Abuja, 30th June — Contrary to recent online rumors, the iconic actor, Olu Jacobs, is very much alive, his son Soji Jacobs confirmed. Soji provided a video to one of our correspondents, showing his octogenarian father calmly seated while getting his beard shaved. In the video, Jacobs, though frail, engages in a brief conversation with his barber and others present, debunking the persistent rumors of his demise.
The “death” of Jacobs, 81, has been erroneously reported several times since November 2021, when his wife, actress Joke Silva, disclosed his health struggles. The family has consistently refuted these rumors by posting videos and photos of Jacobs to discredit such claims.
Back in 2021, Silva, the 62-year-old respected actress and Jacobs’ longtime wife, revealed that her husband had been battling Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) for several years, explaining his absence from the movie screens.
“He is dealing with issues and it has been going on for a couple of years. It is known as dementia with Lewy Body. It is a degenerative disease that affects the brain and it is almost like a Parkinson’s type of disease; it affects the brain so you don’t see the shaking. It affects the person,” she stated in an interview with Channels Television.
“It’s been hard on him because he doesn’t understand what is going on and also on family members as well. We have gone through it over the past couple of years and we thank God. We have gone through some times and situations recently that I wish I had the old you here so I don’t battle these times on my own but we are grateful for the moment of clarity. I miss the times we worked together,” she added.
Jacobs, a recipient of a lifetime achievement award at the Africa International Film Festival Awards in Lagos in 2021, shared a frail-looking picture of himself on Instagram the same year. This image garnered an outpouring of sympathy, best wishes, and prayers from friends and fans alike.
Despite his condition, Jacobs has made appearances at selected social functions, often accompanied by his devoted wife, while fans continue to hope for his recovery.
