Veteran Nollywood actor, Yemi Solade has stirred conversation online after revealing that he was once paid to pretend to be physically disabled as part of a staged healing miracle at a church, long before he became a recognisable face in the Nigerian movie industry. 

The actor made the disclosure during an interview with Feel Right News TV, recalling an experience from his days as a struggling, unknown student.

Solade explained that he was approached by organisers to play the role of a physically challenged person during a church service, with his supposed condition later presented to the congregation as having been miraculously healed.

He said he agreed to take part and was paid for his performance, adding candidly that he spent the money on alcohol at the time, since he was still a student with little else to fall back on.

Recounting the experience in his own words, the actor said he had been used for a fake miracle at a point when he was not yet popular, describing how he acted the part of a cripple, collected payment for it, and used the proceeds to drink.

He stopped short of naming those who organised the staged healing, explaining that the individuals involved are still alive and that he preferred not to expose them publicly.

The revelation has drawn widespread reaction from fans and observers, many of whom expressed shock that a veteran of Solade’s standing in the industry would openly admit to participating in a fake miracle earlier in his life.

His comments have also reignited broader conversation around the long running phenomenon of staged healings in some Nigerian churches, where individuals are allegedly recruited to simulate ailments for dramatic effect during services.

The disclosure comes just days after Solade opened up about his own relationship with religion, revealing that he has not attended a church service in 13 years.

He explained that his decision to stay away was rooted in his personal understanding of his relationship with God rather than any single incident, though his latest revelation about the staged miracle has added fresh context to his remarks about organised religion.