Nigerian actress Stella Damasus has revealed that her last name, “Damasus,” is not her family’s original surname.

During a recent interview on Channels Television, Stella discussed the comical mispronunciation of her last name by fans over the years, despite her numerous corrections. 

The host, Ebuka, inquired, “It’s interesting that many people didn’t understand that your surname was not what it was. I always knew it was Damasus, but so many people who I thought knew were shocked that it was not Damascus. Were you surprised by that?”

Stella responded, “Over the years, I have corrected the pronunciation so many times in other interviews that I thought people had caught on by now. But I was shocked that people still believe it’s Damascus and not Damasus. I understand why they stick to that name; it’s what they’ve become accustomed to and didn’t feel the need to change. It was fun, though, and I saw comments that really surprised me.”

She then delved into the history of her family’s name, explaining how they were forced to change it from Ojukwu to Damasus during the Biafran War to avoid being targeted and potentially killed for being of Igbo descent. 

The actress elaborated, “Damasus is my grandfather’s first name; it’s a Greek name. My original surname was Ojukwu, but it changed during the Biafran War when my people were attacked in Asaba. The name was changed before I was even born, so I grew up with the name Damasus. When I asked why, that was the reason I was given, and there was nothing I could do about it.”