Portia Asare bullied me until I left Kumawood

CutieJuliet, a TikTok user, has opened up about a painful chapter in her life that she says ended her dream of becoming an actress.

In a video making rounds online, she recounted how Ghanaian actress Portia Asare Boateng’s alleged behaviour towards her during her early days in the film industry pushed her away from acting.

According to CutieJuliet, her entry into Kumawood — then referred to as the Actors Guild — happened in the early 2000s, shortly after she completed high school.

She was introduced to the group by veteran actress Gloria Agyeman, who brought her to a meeting attended by Nana Ama McBrown, Mr. Afrane, and other industry figures.

“They instantly fell in love with me and welcomed me,” she recalled. “But it’s because of Portia Asare that I didn’t continue following the moviemaking dream.

“Anytime she saw me, she wanted to intimidate me. I was the youngest then, but Portia wouldn’t go easy on me. Whenever she saw me, she would bully me like the way a senior would bully a Form One student.”

CutieJuliet claimed the treatment continued until she stopped pursuing acting altogether. She later attempted a career in radio but said history repeated itself.

“Years later, I got a job as a newscaster at a radio station. On my first day, I realised she was a staff member at the media house.

Reflecting on how she treated me before, I decided to quit,” she said, adding that she was young and didn’t understand competition at the time.