Venita Akpofure has declared that she prioritises respect over likability in both personal and professional relationships, stating she would rather be seen as distant than overly accessible. In an interview with Saturday Beats, the former BBNaija housemate and actress explained that being too friendly invites people to take her kindness for granted. "You just need not to be too friendly. When you are too friendly, people take your friendliness as a sign of access. It's better to be called a 'bitch', to be feared and respected, than to be seen as too casual," she said. Akpofure described her transition from modelling to acting not as a reinvention but as an expansion of her existing identity. She credited divine favour for her sustained relevance in the entertainment industry, saying, "We bless God."
The actress emphasized the importance of embracing personal evolution without discarding past versions of oneself. She believes that every stage of her life has contributed to her current success and that holding on to those phases allows her to remain authentic. "All versions of me serve me. I don't let the baby part of me go. I don't let the girl part of me go. I don't let the teenage me go," she stated. Akpofure warned that failure to adapt to changing circumstances could lead to irrelevance, especially for public figures who may face career lulls. She stressed the need to shift naturally with time rather than force outdated personas.
When Venita Akpofure says it's better to be called a "bitch" than to be taken for granted, she isn't courting controversy — she's exposing a survival tactic in Nigeria's celebrity culture, where access is often mistaken for intimacy. Her refusal to be perpetually "on" challenges the expectation that women, especially in entertainment, must be warm, available, and grateful for attention. In an industry that consumes personalities quickly, her stance isn't cold — it's strategic. This isn't about image management; it's about control.
