Poverty Drove Me Into Pornography- Afrocandy

US-based Nigerian actress and pornstar, Judith Mazagwu, also known as Afrocandy, is an entertainer making a living from a profession many people would not like to associate with. In this interview with eelive.ng’s Damilare Famuyiwa, she speaks about the challenges that led her into porn making and why what people including her children think about her endeavours, now means nothing to her.

How did you start your journey as an entertainer?

I started with modelling, back then when I use to be in Nigeria. And from there, I went on into acting and music.

What informed your decision to delve into all of these things?

The journey started when I took my daughter to a modelling photo shoot in Lagos. At that time, the modelling agent met and spoke with me, and told me how beautiful I was. He practically admired everything about me, including the way I spoke.

Then, he asked, “why didn’t you go into acting?” He introduced me to it, gave me the link. He advised me to go to the national theatre to go and register. I went there and registered and from there, I started going for auditions, that was how I went into acting.

Then, I moved to the United States. I was still doing the same thing (modelling and Acting), but you cannot break into the main stream like that, so I was doing extra acting in Hollywood movies, and also some big-time modelling at the background. There are some Nigerians that do movies over there, so sometimes I get cast in the movies, just like that I was growing gradually over here (the US).

But things were rough based on the fact that I had young children I had to cater for. After my husband left us, I was faced with serious hardship. I had small children, it’s hard over here.

If you don’t have anybody to watch your children and you don’t have money to pay babysitters, you will suffer. So, it was too bad, I was forced to go to school with them, I was going to school, and at the same time doing some little jobs, my children were kicked out of school, it was too hard.

I remember visiting a store, and that was where I met a man who was managing some artistes. He advised me on how to position myself in the industry and told me I didn’t necessarily need to go out to make money. He was like “you looking good like this and you are going through hardship? Why don’t you just open a YouTube channel?” I wasn’t even online at that time, that was around 2006/2007. He was the one that introduced me to opening an account on YouTube, and other social media platforms. From there, I met somebody that put me into music, that was how I started music. From music, I tried going back into making movies again, producing my own, and that was how I produced Destructive Instinct.

After watching a whole bunch of Nigeria movies, I realised how boring movie-making was in the country, then I decided to add something to spice up things. So, added nudity to mine, and people started calling me a porn star. When I saw that they have already spoilt my name and there was nothing I could do, I now had to give them porn full time. When I saw that money was in it, and it was something I could stay home and be making money from, I continued.

Tell us your background…

I have two associate degrees and a bachelor degree. I am also a certified coder, which was one of the things I did here as a back-up. Although, it remains a part of my retirement plans.

I am from Imo State. I grew up in Jos, Plateau State, went to primary school there, came back to Imo, and later went to college in Enugu. It was there that I met my husband, then I moved to Lagos, where I studied computing. It was from Lagos that I relocated to the United States.

For someone who grew up in Nigeria, how do people around you, particularly family members, react to your involvement in pornography?

 I have some morally upright family members, the ones that think they are too holy, they criticise you for almost everything you do, including the way you dress. But that was at the beginning. I had to let them understand that everyone has their lives to live. I remember telling them as long as they do not feed me, what I do with my life or body should not be their problems. We are all running our own heavenly races in this world differently, I am running mine, focus on yours. If I’m going to hell, I’m not going to take anyone with me. So, why don’t we respect each other’s choices in life and just let me be, you know.

I felt like I have people bugging me over it, but that is the life I chose, and everybody have the reason to choose the life they want to live. In this country, I was stuck with three daughters with no help from anywhere, I had to struggle with myself, I faced eviction so many times. Then, it was me that was facing it. I wore the shoes, so when people are going to tell you something, ask them where were they when you needed them the most.

The bottom line is, when you need that help, nobody is going to come through.

It is now up to you to get up and help yourself, so I don’t care what anybody says, either I have reactions or not. When you choose this kind of life, definitely you are going to lose a lot of friends and you are going to gain some too. It doesn’t matter who you lose, but who you gain matters the most.

In all fairness, I have a kind of family that understands. I speak to my family all the time and I keep my family private. I talk with them; they communicate with me when it is necessary. And I also have friends that check up on me. The only reaction that scares is that of women who think I am going to take their husbands or something like that. I am not even looking for a husband.

Is it to say that you are not considering love in the future?

Love is weak, love makes you weak, people like us don’t really love a lot. We want to be strong and do what we want to do. Once in a while, I try but when you give them chance, they start looking for ways to kill other men that come around.

That means you don’t have marriage in view?

Marriage is not in view; it is not what I am looking for. I go out and have fun whenever I want to, date whoever I want to, and move on. I might be with you today as man, and tomorrow I might not like you anymore. That’s just me.

Are you worried about how your children view you, considering your pornographic activities?

Yes, I used to worry, that was the main reason why I did not put my videos out there before. When I started doing porn, my kids were young. If I had published Destructive Instinct on Xvideos, by now, my views would have been like 500 million. I was hiding those contents from them (my daughters). And to be honest, it’s something I regret. Then when I was making porn videos, I was making them privately for my fans. I have top fans that pay big money for my videos.

They subscribe for my contents either weekly or monthly. I wasn’t putting them out, because I was worried about my kids. I was keeping them (the videos) only for my VIP subscribers. But unfortunately, some subscribers who do not value other people’s privacy and creativity started taking my videos to pornographic websites; they were uploading my videos on Xvideos as their own, and then the owners of the site contacted me years ago that they would like me to join their platform and make contents for them. I rejected their offer, but I was still making my video, and they were still scattering it.

So, I now started filing them report that they should take them down, as I threatened them with a lawsuit.

It was so tiring until there is a video that struck a nerve. I made all video for one of my biggest fans in Nigeria, so that man he sent me $10,000 for the video. Unfortunately, I don’t know how the video leaked, it was like someone intercepted his phone or something like that. So I got mad, and I created an account on Xvideo, but I didn’t have the courage to post a video there because of my daughters. But when this thing got too much, I decided to start posting.

But trust me, I made a video the day I joined xvideos to announce myself. That day, they verified me, they sent me document and I signed. Then they verified me and again my daughters were grown at that time.

My first daughter graduated from college already, she is now working, and my younger daughter is already in college. I called them, I spoke to them, and told them. They know what I do, they hugged me and say “mama, go ahead and do what you want. We still love you and support you, don’t worry, don’t feel any type of way, go ahead and post, do what you got to do.”

I have their supports and encouragement, and that is why I don’t worry either they are going to see it or not. It may interest you to know that they don’t go out looking for those kinds of contents. They are busy doing their own thing. I don’t think they are worried about what I am posting, it is no more an issue for me.

How do you manage porn, acting, and singing altogether, and which of these acts do you take more seriously?

I take everything I do seriously. Although it all depends on mood, I get bored easily doing one thing all over and over. Sometimes, I don’t even feel like doing anything at all.