Monalisa Stephen: Body-Positivity Advocate, Model and Actress (1992 to 2025)
Monalisa Stephen was a Nigerian plus-size model, actress, clothing designer and body-positivity advocate who became widely known on social media for speaking openly against body shaming. She died in Lagos on 13 May 2025, at the age of 33, according to Within Nigeria. The earlier version of this page on hqbios.com was written as though she were alive and did not mention her death. This rewritten profile corrects that, and it covers her work and public statements with care. Her death is a sensitive subject: reports we found do not state a cause, and we do not speculate about one.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information and source |
|---|---|
| Full name | Monalisa Ayobami Stephen (Within Nigeria) |
| Also known as | Mona, Gabacci (Within Nigeria) |
| Date of birth | 13 March 1992, reported by Rededit Magazine; not confirmed by an official source |
| Died | 13 May 2025, Lagos, aged 33 (Within Nigeria) |
| Origin | Born and based in Lagos, family from Abia State (Rededit Magazine) |
| Education | Higher National Diploma, Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti (Rededit Magazine) |
| Work | Plus-size model, actress, fashion designer, advocate |
| Film credits named by press | Mami Wata (2023), Breaded Life (2021) (Within Nigeria) |
Who she was
Within Nigeria described her as a popular movie actress, plus-size model and well-known body-positivity advocate who was also known by the name Gabacci. Rededit Magazine described her as based in Lagos with roots in Abia State, and said she studied at the Federal Polytechnic in Ado Ekiti, where she took a Higher National Diploma. The magazine says her interest in media came from drama and dance clubs at secondary school, and that she began as a video vixen and an average Instagram influencer before she began to trend for her size, her posts and reposts by celebrities. It also says Don Jazzy shared her content and that a brand deal with Naija Face Model, a body-positivity and modelling brand, brought her gifts including a plot of land and a car. We have only seen this in the magazine, so we describe it as reported.
Advocacy
In a November 2020 interview with Independent Newspaper Nigeria, Monalisa Stephen said that talking about body positivity was her passion and that she had been doing it for about ten years, before people knew her as a model or actress. She said she was speaking for people who had been insulted over their appearance, and that people’s bodies naturally differ. She also spoke about being bullied as a child and about the effect hurtful comments had on her mental health. We do not quote the most painful parts of that interview here, but we want to be clear that she spoke openly about it, and that if you are struggling, you can seek help from a local mental health service or someone you trust.
In a July 2023 episode of Pulse’s Feminine Expressions podcast she said young people were being influenced by media to dislike their bodies, and she argued that many claims made about fat people were false. She said in the same conversation that her size had not caused her health or relationship problems. In April 2023, she told Saturday Beats that she preferred to be called “fat” rather than “plus-size”. These are her opinions, as reported by the outlets named.
Within Nigeria also reported that she spoke about living with juvenile diabetes and about the efforts she made to maintain her health. We include this because she herself spoke about it in public, as the outlet describes.
Acting and brand work
Within Nigeria names Mami Wata (2023) and Breaded Life (2021) among her screen credits and says she also appeared in many comedy skits. Earlier in 2025, it says, she gave an interview in which she said plus-size actresses are discriminated against in Nollywood. Rededit Magazine says she owned a clothing brand carrying her name and partnered with several brands and celebrities. We found no independent source on how big the clothing business was.
Her death and the reaction
Within Nigeria reported that she died on Tuesday, 13 May 2025, in Lagos, aged 33, and published a tribute describing her legacy as one of courage, authenticity and advocacy. The article does not give a cause of death, and we have not seen an official statement. Many sites repeat rumours about the cause; we do not repeat them, because they are unconfirmed and could cause harm to her family and to readers.
Why her message resonated
Her audience was largely women who felt judged for their bodies. Within Nigeria says she was often met with hostility from trolls and that she responded by repeating her message of kindness and self-love. That mix of directness and humour appears in all the interviews we read. It also explains why her death prompted so many tributes, and why a careful profile matters: sensational coverage of a person’s death, especially of someone who campaigned against online cruelty, can repeat the harm she spoke out against.
What we changed from the earlier article
The previous version described her in the present tense and gave a birth place and date without a source. We have kept only the birth date reported by Rededit Magazine and labelled it as unconfirmed. We have removed claims about her relationships, her health beyond what she said publicly, and any estimate of her wealth.
Timeline
- 1992: Born, according to Rededit Magazine (date unconfirmed).
- 2020: Interview with Independent Newspaper Nigeria about her advocacy.
- 2021: Breaded Life.
- 2023: Appears in Mami Wata; speaks on the Feminine Expressions podcast; tells Saturday Beats she prefers “fat” to “plus-size”.
- Early 2025: Says plus-size actresses face discrimination in Nollywood.
- 13 May 2025: Dies in Lagos, aged 33.
Frequently asked questions
Is Monalisa Stephen alive?
No. Within Nigeria reported that she died on 13 May 2025.
What was she known for?
Plus-size modelling, acting and speaking out against body shaming.
How did she die?
The sources we found do not state a cause, and we do not speculate.
Where was she from?
Rededit Magazine says she was born in Lagos and was from Abia State.
Language, representation and the wider debate
Her choice of words is part of her legacy. When she said she preferred “fat” to “plus-size”, she was taking part in an argument that exists in many countries about whether euphemisms help or hurt. Some advocates avoid the word; others reclaim it, as she did. We report her preference because it is her own statement, and we use neutral language elsewhere. Her comments on Nollywood casting are similar: she said that plus-size actresses face discrimination, which is her view, and we have no study that tests it.
For readers who want to understand the topic she cared about, the interviews listed in our sources are better places to start than any biography site, because they show her tone and her reasoning in her own words.
Sources
- Within Nigeria
- Independent Newspaper Nigeria
- Pulse Nigeria
- Rededit Magazine
- Saturday Beats (cited by Within Nigeria)
What we could not verify
- The cause of her death.
- Her exact birth date, which comes from a magazine that cites no document.
- The size and value of her brand deals and clothing business.
- Family details. We have deliberately left them out.
- Any net worth figure.
Risk note: this profile concerns a recently deceased person and touches on mental health. We have avoided speculation and graphic detail. Please send corrections through our Corrections page.
