THE TONTO DIKE INTERVIEW. THE CONTROVERSIAL ACTRESS TALKS ABOUT HER LIFE, HER WORK , HER MUSIC AND DEPRESSION.

Actress Toto Dikeh has grown a little calmer. If you have not heard anything from the controversial artiste for sometime, now it is simply because she has been seeing a shrink and trying to straighten her head. It was reported a little while ago that she tried to commit suicide especially after her spat with colleague Mercy Johnson Okojie. In an interview with MAN HOUR TELEVISION, Tontoh says that she is still healing. She talks openly about her battle with depression; her life growing up and her passions and dreams.

Below is the full text of the interview. Enjoy your Sunday read

STAYING RELEVANT IN THE MEDIA

It is not something that i strategized. Let’s just say that i am big media sensation. So i think they helped me get that position, i didn’t work for it.

WHY DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE BECOME SUCH A SENSATION IN A SHORT TIME?

I think I am just myself. I am never afraid to speak out. Maybe i speak out a little too much but that’s just me,I am sorry. I am not sorry that i speak out but i am sorry that you can’t understand the fact that i speak out. I am just who I am and that’s why i am standing out.

ESTABLISHING YOURSELF AS A MUSICIAN

Establishing myself as a musician has not been as easy as it been as an actress because music is not something i had any prior knowledge about. Movie and music are just two extremes. You don’t know what’s happening here you don’t know it. Its not been easy

WHICH IS MORE CHALLENGING MUSIC OR ACTING?

Truthfully I’ll say music. Acting is a gift. I don’t have to challenge myself, I don’t have to stress myself. That’s my passion, that’s my love. I love to be challenged

SHOULD WE BE EXPECTING AN ALBUM TO DROP SOON?

Yeah one of my aims in this industry is to put out an album, not just an album but to put out good songs. So yeah definitely in the future, near future, there will be an album.

SO HOW WAS IT LIKE GROWING UP?

Growing up was sour. I put myself in a lot of darkness. I never had friends just because i didn’t want to. I never knew how to make friends. I think that I just had an issue with myself from time that I love to be alone.

SOMETHING ABOUT TONTO THAT WE DON’T KNOW

I think I am very very misunderstood. I am a very homely person. I actually never go out. If you ever see me in a club its actually that something is happening like my friend is having something. I just never go out. That is something that people don’t know. I don’t leave my home. I love to be at home. I eat food from my house. I don’t go out to eat. I am a home girl

IF YOU CAME WITH A LABEL WHAT WILL IT BE?

I think it will be strength. I think that if I ever came with a label it will be strength.

HOW MUCH OF A ROMANTIC ARE YOU?

Ooooh!, doesn’t it show already? Am a lover. I think I am very romantic but only two people have been opportuned to taste that part of me.

IF A RANDOM GUY APPROACHES YOU IN A BAR…

You have to be clean. You have to be extremely clean. Yeah, thenw e can start talking about other things.

DO YOU THINK ALL MEN CAN HANDLE THE PRESENCE AN LOVE OF A STRONG WOMAN?

Well not all men can handle the love of a strong woman, not all men but definitely there are some good men out there who can. There are some weak men out there that some strong women can make realise the fact that they can handle them. Its two ways.

ABOUT DEPRESSION

It brought me back to the beginning as a baby and I had to start from there. I am still healing though. Am still taking classes, I am seeing a shrink, doctors who are working with me. I don’t know why people take depression as nothing. It’s the deadliest disease that I have ever come across. It’s something that can kill you in a snap. It’s very dangerous and i have been working on myself on that.

ANY ADVICE FOR THOSE GOING THROUGH DEPRESSION?

I’ll give you an advice to say that suicide is not the solution to any problem. It just makes things worse and makes you look like a coward. The life was given to you for a reason and God will never give you a problem that you cannot handle. There’s nothing we go through or happens to us in our lives that we cannot handle; we just don’t realise how strong we are.

IF YOU COULD PUNCH ANY CELEBRITY IN THE WORLD

It will be Beyonce. I mean girl how, how do you do that? She is so successful. I mean it’s because I love not because I hate her. It’ll be a friendly punch.

IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH FIVE PEOPLE DEAD OR ALIVE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD…

Okay, my late mother, I’d love to have dinner with her. I’d love to ask her some questions. I think it’s just my mother.

WHAT SHOULD WE BE LOOKING FORWARD TO?

I think you should be looking forward to great things from me, for more on Charity because I am taking a break from work to give back to society like my foundation. More of that coming through, more music, more movies, more of fun. That’s what I am about, excitment, entertainment.

TONTO IS BACK!!!