Nollywood actress Adunni Ade has announced a major legal victory after winning a ₦30 million lawsuit against Google over publications that falsely linked her romantically to former Kogi State senator, Dino Melaye.
The actress shared the news on her Instagram page, posting a copy of the court judgment with the caption:
“Adunni Ade Vs Google. Not every war requires a response. Some require a courtroom. Unto the next.”
According to court documents, Justice I.O. Harrison of the Lagos High Court delivered the judgment on July 9, 2025, awarding Adunni Ade ₦30 million in general damages.
The court also ordered Google to immediately remove the offending publications from its platforms, including Google Search and YouTube, and delete the actress’s name and photographs from the reports.
The legal battle began on July 11, 2024, when Adunni Ade sued Google and Meta, seeking ₦100 million in damages over what she described as false and defamatory publications.
The suit centered on two articles titled:
- “How Dino Melaye used fake Patek Watch to woo and knack Actress Adunni Ade back, front and center.”
- “Actress Adunni Ade engages in heated exchange with famous Instagram blog after being listed among six celebrities to have dated Dino Melaye.”
Adunni argued that the reports were false, misleading and defamatory, adding that they violated her constitutional right to privacy under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and caused her emotional and psychological distress.
During the proceedings, she later withdrew the case against Meta in April 2025 after the company filed a preliminary objection, leading the court to dismiss the suit against the social media giant.
However, the court ruled against Google, holding that the violation went beyond merely publishing the articles.
Justice Harrison held that the wrongful association of Adunni Ade’s name and photograph with the defamatory content constituted a breach of her fundamental rights.
The judgment stated:
“It is common knowledge that when a basic right is violated, there is no need for additional proof. The Court will accordingly give the Applicant ₦30,000,000.00 (Thirty Million Naira) in general damages.”
The court further directed Google to immediately remove the publications from all its platforms and purge the actress’s name and images from the reports.
This marks Adunni Ade’s second legal victory over similar publications.
Only a few months earlier, the Lagos High Court awarded her ₦20 million in damages after she successfully sued a Nigerian media outlet and one of its writers over a January 18, 2023 publication that listed her among actresses allegedly linked romantically to Dino Melaye.
The actress has consistently denied the allegations and maintained that the publications were false and damaging to her reputation.
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