Nigerian journalist and media personality, Dr. Kemi Olunloyo, has taken to social media to recount some of her notable career milestones, particularly her time working within the American entertainment and media space in the early 2000s.
According to Olunloyo, her professional relationship with former U.S. President Donald Trump dates back to 2003 when she covered the Miss USA, Miss Universe, and Miss Teen USA pageants, which Trump co-owned alongside NBC Entertainment. By 2004, she says she was added to the blogging team for Trump’s popular business reality show The Apprentice, while simultaneously covering Being Bobby Brown, the reality series starring Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston.
Olunloyo revealed that her assignments during that period earned her as much as $20,000 monthly, positioning her among the pioneering African bloggers of the early digital media era, years before social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter gained global popularity.
The journalist also claimed to have attended Donald Trump’s 2005 wedding to Melania Knauss, reflecting on how the former model, once criticized by detractors, later became First Lady of the United States.
“Stop taking people for face value,” Olunloyo cautioned critics who she says often dismiss her achievements. She emphasized that despite making significant strides internationally, she feels underappreciated in Nigeria but insists she does not seek validation locally.
Beyond her media work, Olunloyo disclosed that between 2012 and 2023, she privately gave out nearly $1 million in financial assistance, which was never publicized.
Reiterating her legacy, she described herself as Africa’s first known blogger, highlighting that her work has been recognized in several countries even if not celebrated widely at home.
