Mary Njoku challenges ‘Gold Digger’ label against women, cites men living off rich friend

Nollywood actress Mary Njoku has questioned the labeling of women as "gold diggers" when they benefit from the wealth of successful men, prompting a comparison to men who live off a wealthy friend's generosity. Njoku expressed her thoughts on social media, highlighting the discrepancy in how men and women are judged in similar situations.

She asked, "If benefiting from a wealthy person's generosity makes a woman a gold digger, what do we call the 17 men who enjoy his food, wear his clothes, have their bills paid and consider themselves his boys?" The example she provided involved a wealthy man, Emeka, who, after achieving success, surrounded himself with 17 grown men.

Njoku pointed out that these men enjoyed his financial resources without being labeled as gold diggers; instead, their relationship was perceived as brotherhood, networking, and loyalty. She emphasized that this double standard exists because men who benefit from proximity to wealth are often given respectable titles, whereas women engaging in the same behavior face harsh criticism.

Njoku concluded by noting that the same dynamics can be observed among friends, relatives, and employees who seek to improve their lives through the wealth or position of others.