Nollywood actor Deyemi Okanlawon has spoken out against the culture of ridiculing public figures online, urging Nigerians to lead with empathy rather than insults.

Speaking on the CreativiTea podcast, Okanlawon aimed at the term "yeyebrities", a derogatory label some Nigerians use to mock celebrities, and warned that tearing others down comes at a personal cost.

"People even call celebrities 'yeyebrities' because I'm like, whatever you diminish in somebody else's life, you can never achieve," he said.

His comments came in the same conversation where he reflected on the treatment of his late colleague Alex Ekubo, recalling how he watched people tear down the actor despite describing him as having "a very good guy, great guy, beautiful heart."

Okanlawon also warned that no one is insulated from public life, and that those who mock celebrities today could find their own family members in the spotlight tomorrow.

"So, let's just pray that in your lineage, nobody finds their way into the spotlight, because if that happens, then you've opened up the door for such things to be said about them," he said.

He asked critics to consider the pressures behind the polished surface of celebrity life, noting that public figures carry personal struggles most people never see.