The Netflix reality star said she’s “sick” and “tired” of people mispronouncing her name, which is of Nigerian descent and “carries a lot of meaning and power,” as she emphasized how mispronouncing it “diminishes that impact”

Tolú Ekundare on ‘Perfect Match’. PHOTO: COURTESY OF NETFLIX 

In a video posted on June 18, Ekundare, who originally starred on Netflix’s The Trust before joining season 2 of Perfect Match, shared a public service announcement as she clarified how to pronounce her name, which is of Nigerian descent.

“PSA, because I’m sick and I’m tired of watching the show and watching y’all’s reaction videos and everybody just keeps mispronouncing my name,” Ekundare said in the video, before sounding out how to pronounce her name (“Toe-loo”).

“My name is Tolú, let’s do it again. Tolú,” she said. “C’mon y’all – it even – it rolls off the tongue so nicely.”

Among the mispronunciations that she included as examples in the video were “Taloo,” “Tulu” and “Tulum,” as she said, “That is not my name, y’all. It’s four letters – it’s so easy.”

Concluding the video, Ekundare asked fans to “start pronouncing my name correctly, please, because it’s really important to me.”

In the caption of the post, she reflected further, writing, “I’m gonna vent for a quick second but I think a lot of you can relate. My name is important to me because it carries a lot of meaning and power. When it’s mispronounced it diminishes that impact. For those with unique names, I believe you can understand the struggle.”

Several fellow Netflix reality stars voiced their support for Ekundare in the comments, with Perfect Match season 1’s Calvin Crooks writing, “TOE – LU it’s easy guys seriously.”

Elys Hutchinson, who starred on season 2 with Ekundare, wrote that it took her “a month” to learn how to pronounce her costar’s name due to her “English accent,” but Ekundare replied, “But you worked and you got it right!! 🥰💕”

Tolú Ekundare for season 2 of ‘Perfect Match’. NETFLIX

Love Is Blind‘s Kwame Appiah shared a similar video in support of Ekundare on June 21, as he shared his confusion at the mispronunciation of her name throughout Perfect Match.

“Watching the whole cast of Perfect Match mispronounce a 2 syllable name for 10 episoes,” he wrote over the video.

In the caption, he wrote, “It’s TOLU(Toe-Lu)..somebody please tell me where they got TE-LEW from?!”

Ekundare commented on the post, “THIS!!😂 🔥 🔥 2 syllables were kicking their a–es.”

Perfect Match season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

Relative Articles

None found