Beverly Naya Reveals the Real Reason Behind Skin
Nollywood actress Beverly Naya has shared the real reason she created her Netflix documentary Skin. Speaking on the One54 Podcast, she revealed that years of bullying as a teenager in London inspired the project. Although the bullying was not directly about her skin colour, it affected her confidence. After moving to Nigeria, she wanted to launch an anti-bullying campaign. However, she later realised the message needed a stronger focus to connect with more people.
Beverly’s Research Changed Her “Skin Tone Perspective”
Everything changed during her research. Beverly came across a quote often linked to Willie Lynch about dividing Black people based on skin tone. While historians still question the quote’s authenticity, another discovery had a bigger impact.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 77% of Nigerian women use skin-bleaching products, the highest rate in Africa. Togo follows with 59%, South Africa records 35%, while Senegal stands at 27%. Beverly said that shocking figure completely changed her direction. She decided to focus on colourism and the growing skin-bleaching culture in Nigeria.
The actress explained that lighter skin is often seen as more attractive in many parts of the country. As a result, many dark-skinned people face jokes, insults and unfair treatment. She believes those experiences are a form of bullying that many people fail to recognise.
“That’s basically what inspired that movement,” she said.
Through Skin, Beverly wanted to expose the dangers of skin bleaching, encourage self-love and start honest conversations about colourism. Interestingly, the documentary premiered on Netflix just two weeks after George Floyd’s death in 2020, when discussions about race and identity were taking place around the world.
Beverly Talks Beyond Skin
Beyond discussing Skin, Beverly also reflected on her life journey across London, Lagos and New York. She said living in different countries helped shape her identity, worldview and even her accent. The actress also explained why she chose to build her career in New York instead of Los Angeles.
In addition, she spoke about protecting her mental health while dealing with fame, online comparisons and public criticism. Today, Beverly Naya remains one of Nollywood’s respected actresses, filmmakers and producers. Her documentary Skin continues to spark important conversations about colourism, beauty standards and self-acceptance in Nigeria and beyond.
