Nollywood actress and media personality Ariyike Owolagba, widely known as Ariyiike Dimples, has opened up about a moment that pushed her away from church for years.
Speaking on the Open Up podcast, she shared that she stopped attending her community church for three years after an encounter that left her feeling judged and embarrassed.
According to her, an elderly woman in the congregation confronted her over her outfit, insisting she would “go to hell” simply for wearing a pencil skirt to church. The remark, she said, was shocking and deeply discouraging.
Ariyiike explained that the church was dominated by older members, with very few young people still attending. She believes strict traditions and harsh judgments have driven many youths away.
“Yes, you can have your doctrines,” she said, “but there are gentler ways to guide young people without condemning them.”
She added that the situation escalated when the woman reported her to her father. Ariyiike felt so misunderstood that she took a photo of the skirt and sent it to her mother to show that it wasn’t inappropriate. Her father, however, held firmly to the idea that a community should guide its young ones.
To avoid further tension, she simply stopped attending that church.
Despite stepping away for those years, Ariyiike made it clear that she remains a practising Christian—just one who refuses to stay in an environment where she feels unfairly judged.
