Renowned Nollywood actor, Bolanle Ninalowo shares insights into his decision to support his daughter, Aliyah, in piercing her navel, describing the choice as a step toward strengthening their father-daughter bond.
In a candid interview with media personality VJ Adams, Ninalowo revealed that Aliyah, who recently turned 18, initially wanted to pierce her tongue.
However, he felt uncomfortable and suggested she explore other options. Aliyah later proposed a navel piercing, which he agreed to because it was less permanent and could be easily removed.
Recalling the experience, Ninalowo said:
“I remember one day my daughter woke me up and said she wanna get a tongue ring, and I was like, what! I could never say something like that to my dad; I couldn’t even tell my dad I wanted to grow a beard.
“I knew that this was what her friends and peers were doing and it was hard to tell her different when she goes to school and see all her friends have it.
“I took a moment to think then I said, ‘Yo Aliyah, a tongue ring, I wouldn’t want to kiss a girl with a tongue ring but think about something else.’ And she was like okay, I will think about it.”
He added that when Aliyah suggested the navel piercing, he saw it as an opportunity to build trust and connection.
“I drove her there myself. As much as I would rather not want that, it was an opportunity for me to connect, so I would not stop that,” he added.
The actor also reflected on his parenting approach following the announcement of his separation from his wife, Bunmi, last year, citing irreconcilable differences. The former couple share two children: Aliyah, their eldest, and Morakinyo, their son.
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