Nollywood star explains how her hit documentary tackled toxic beauty standards and skin bleaching
Nollywood actress Beverly Naya has revealed that 77% of Nigerian women bleach their skin due to deep-rooted colorism. In a recent interview, she explained how her award-winning documentary challenged these toxic beauty standards. The project gained massive global traction following its Netflix debut.
Actress Beverly Naya has opened up about the deep inspiration behind her acclaimed colorism documentary. She aims to challenge the toxic beauty standards driving many Nigerian women toward skin bleaching.
ValidUpdates understands that the Nollywood star views this issue as a widespread crisis. She spoke passionately during a recent interview about the societal pressures on dark-skinned women. On July 22, 2026, she shared shocking statistics regarding the practice.
Exposing the bleaching crisis
The actress highlighted a massive issue facing the country today. She pointed out that a staggering majority of local women alter their natural skin tone.
“77% of Nigerian women bleach their skin,” Naya stated.
This high figure stems from a long-standing cultural belief. Many people wrongly assume that lighter skin automatically makes a person more desirable. The movie star broke down how this mindset infects everyday life.
“There’s this hierarchy of beauty according to complexion, where it’s like the lighter you are, the better. Culturally, you know, in society, it’s there,” she explained.
Calling out casual cruelty
Naya strongly identified colorism as a damaging form of bullying. She noted that citizens often use derogatory names without realising the psychological harm.
“People knew that you could literally look at a dark-skinned person, and you would say, ‘Oh, Blackie,’ and it was derogatory, it was offensive, but there was nothing to define what that act was. But then it was colorism, and they didn’t know what it was,” the star noted.
Her documentary aimed to educate the public on these exact dangers. She wanted to expose the severe physical risks linked to skin bleaching products. She ultimately wanted to push Nigerians toward self-acceptance.
“The whole idea was just to inspire people to love the complexion that they’re in and appreciate themselves for who they are,” she said.
Global impact and moving forward
The documentary hit Netflix just weeks after George Floyd died. Naya believes this specific timing heavily amplified its global reach and message.
“Naturally, it blew up. So many people watched it, and the impact was insane,” she declared.
The massive success deeply moved the award-winning actress. This overwhelming reception inspired her to push the movement even further. She remains fully committed to challenging colorism and promoting self-love worldwide.
