Actress served with defamation notice after accusing Director of sexual harassment
Actress Grace Wacuka says she has been threatened with a libel suit by Insignia Kenya Films Ltd after she accused one of the company’s top directors of sexually harassing her.
Ms Wacuka claims the Insignia film directors are desperate to silence her after she shared her ordeal on the Kenyan Professional Actors Forum Whatsapp group, which has 652 members.
The actress says after she opened up about her alleged sexual harassment ordeal and named the harasser, she received a cease and desist letter from Insignia’s lawyers.
Wacuka also accuses her lawyer of being part of a conspiracy to silence her from raising the alarm about the alleged harassment. She claims her lawyer also asked her to keep quiet about the matter.
Narrating the ordeal, Wacuka says it all started in November 2022 when she was on the set of the series Single Kiasi.
“What happened was that I was on set with Gathoni Mutua doing a scene and I couldn’t do my scene properly because the way he was directing me (in the scene), it didn’t make sense to me. So he told me that if I couldn’t do the scene right, he wouldn’t give me any more work in the future. The crew was there, so I started crying. We take a break and he comes to me and I think he wants to apologize. Unfortunately, it’s just me and him this time so he takes my hand and puts his a*s on it, and says ‘Hold me like you love me’. Because I’m in shock, I tell him that’s not right, that is not okay, but he dismisses it. I don’t tell anyone on set (about the incident), but I do tell my family. A few days later we are on the set and I tell him I didn’t like what you did and he says, ‘But you wanted it.’ She adds.
Wacuka claims that was the reason she never cast for Single Kiasi again.
A year passed and she was called by another Insignia director to audition for a new, yet-to-be-released project, Kash Money.
Before the audition, Wacuka says she told the director what had transpired months before and asked that the issue be resolved amicably with all the Insignia directors before she could audition for Kash Money.
According to her, this did not sit well with her harasser, who was unwilling to apologize, so she declined the audition invitation. She was later served with a cease and desist letter on January 16, 2025.
The demand letter, seen by Nairobi News, captured Wacuka’s narration as she claimed in her TikTok video posted on 18th January 2025.
“By your statements cited above, you implied and led your audience to believe that our Clients are sexual harassers, unapologetic perpetrators and aiders of sexual harassment, workplace bullies, and creators and enablers of a hostile work environment who intimidate and retaliate against their victims – which allegations are entirely false. The defamatory statements cited above also constitute online harassment and cyberbullying, and they occasioned immeasurable reputational damage, loss of business, and emotional distress to our Clients.” Read part of the demand letter sent to her by NPA & Njeri Advocates acting for Insignia Kenya Film Ltd.
The letter further stated that,
“In the circumstances, we are instructed to DEMAND, which we hereby do, that:
- You immediately and forthwith cease and desist from making any reference to our Clients and their projects in your communication, whether in the WhatsApp group aforementioned or any other forum on WhatsApp, or any other social media platform;
- You immediately and no later than 8 pm on 17th January 2025 retract the defamatory statements cited above through the WhatsApp Group named Kenyan Professional Actors Forum.
- you immediately and no later than 8 pm on 17th January 2025 published on the WhatsApp Group named Kenyan Professional Actors Forum an unqualified apology regarding the defamatory statements cited above…
Should you not comply with the three demands listed above, we have firm instructions to institute appropriate court proceedings against you without any further reference to you, which proceedings shall be at your risk as to costs and other incidentals arising therefrom.
Please be advised accordingly.”
Ms Wacuka appeared on Single Kiasi playing the character Olivia