Ariyike Dimples Shares Painful Church Encounter That Led to a Three-Year Break

Nollywood actress and media personality Ariyike Owolagba, popularly known as Ariyike Dimples, has opened up about a moment in her former church that pushed her away from attending services for three years.

Speaking on the Open Up Podcast, she recounted an uncomfortable incident that left her feeling judged and out of place. According to her, most members of the congregation were elderly, and many younger worshippers had already left because of the church’s rigid environment.

She explained, “In my community church, you see only elderly people. You barely see the young ones. The young ones have gone to other churches. It was too serious. Yes, you can have your doctrines, but there is a way you can simplify it for young people and take them in without judging them.”

Ariyike said her breaking point came when an older woman openly berated her for wearing a pencil skirt.

In her words, “The reason I stopped going to church was because I wore a pencil skirt to church and an elderly woman said I will go to hell fire. I was shocked and felt wrongly judged so I stopped going to church for 3 years. And thankfully, I was already out of my parents’ house.”

The situation escalated further when the same woman reported her supposed “indecent dressing” to her father. Ariyike said she had to defend herself by sending her mother a photo of the outfit.

She explained, “The woman reported me to my dad. I had to take picture of the skirt and send to my mum to prove that I wasn’t dressing indecently. But my dad believed in the ideology of a community raising a child. So, I chose to avoid the community church so that they won’t see me.”

Despite the unpleasant experience, Ariyike stressed that her relationship with God remains strong and she continues to practice her faith.