Nollywood actress Lilian Afegbai, popularly known as Lily Afe, has publicly apologised to the organisers of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) following her earlier outburst over not receiving a nomination at the 12th edition of the awards.

Taking to her X (formerly Twitter) page on Saturday, the actress admitted that her reaction was misplaced and acknowledged that her apology should have come sooner. According to her, the tweet in which she criticised the awards was unnecessary and unfair. “This apology should have come earlier. That tweet should not have happened. No excuse,” she wrote.

Lily Afe also recognised that her comments came across as disrespectful not only to the AMVCA organisers but also to the nominees, her To Kill A Monkey co-stars, and the fans who have supported her journey.

“It was disrespectful to AMVCA, the nominees, my To Kill A Monkey family, and all of you who have supported me. Honestly, I was disappointed, but that’s not an excuse for how I responded,” she added.

Reflecting on the moment, the actress opened up about feeling overlooked in the industry for a long time, explaining that the project had felt like a turning point in her career.

“I’ve come a long way in my journey, and for a long time I felt invisible. To Kill A Monkey felt like my ‘now they see me’ moment, and I held on to that very tightly,” she said.

However, Lily Afe admitted that not getting nominated triggered a reaction that came from a place of hurt and entitlement,  something she now recognises was out of character.

“When I wasn’t nominated, I reacted from a place of hurt and entitlement. I was wrong and I am sorry. Please give me a chance to be better. I no go fall una hand again,” she wrote.

Lily Afe’s apology comes after the initial tweet sparked conversations online about recognition, expectations and grace within the entertainment industry.