Comedian Bright Okpocha, widely known as Basketmouth, has extended a long-awaited apology to his colleague Ayodeji Richard Makun, also known as AY, ending their 17-year-long feud.
The conflict between AY and Basketmouth has been a subject of public discussion for some time. In 2021, during a Black Box interview with media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Basketmouth cited the breach of loyalty as the reason for their fallout. He even expressed a reluctance to reconnect with AY.
In response, AY, during an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo in May 2023, attributed the rift to a business transaction gone sour in 2006.
Now, as Basketmouth prepares for his upcoming show in November and aims to sell tickets, he has taken responsibility for the 17-year-long feud and issued a public apology. In a video posted on his Instagram page, he expressed his deep regret and asked for forgiveness from those he may have offended, both in the entertainment industry and beyond.
He stated, “To all the people in the industry and beyond that I have offended, I’m saying this to you right now from the bottom of my heart, I’m genuinely sorry, please forgive me. To the people that have accused me of doing things that have affected their careers in one way or the other, I’m not going to accept or deny these allegations, but God knows the truth. But regardless, please forgive me from the bottom of my heart.”
Basketmouth specifically addressed AY, expressing his desire for reconciliation: “Now to my guy AY, I don’t know if my apology is still valid right now but if it is, please forgive me for whatever I have done or said in the past that affected you in any way, forgive me. And I want you to know that I have forgiven you for whatever you have done or said knowingly or unknowingly. It’s gone, and I just want us to live in peace and harmony.”
He also acknowledged the timing of the apology, stating, “Now for the people who are assuming that this apology video is because I have a show coming up on the 26th of November, I would like to say you are absolutely correct. I’m trying to sell tickets for my show, but I’m also sorry for everything that I have done.”