The controversy erupted days after the singer spoke out about sexual assault, stating that nearly every woman she knows has experienced it and calling for harsh punishment for rapists. Critics quickly unearthed old posts referencing children at her mother’s daycare, shifting the online narrative from advocacy to scrutiny.
The Tweets and the Firestorm
Screenshots circulating on Nigerian social media show Simi, then 23, describing a four year old boy’s “crush,” saying he was “acting like he wants to lock lips” and “trying to put hand inside my shet.”
The posts resurfaced in the context of broader conversations around sexual assault allegations involving a TikTok personality known as Mirabel, intensifying reactions. Some users labeled the tweets “disturbing,” accused the singer of double standards, and demanded accountability.
The backlash spread rapidly across X and Instagram, with hashtags calling for boycotts and questioning her credibility as an advocate.
Simi Responds
In a statement posted on X, Simi addressed the controversy directly.
“I haven’t been on Twitter today, but someone brought a few of my old tweets to my attention and I can’t not address it,” she wrote.
She explained that she lived at her mother’s daycare at the time while building her music career and often tweeted about the children’s behavior in what she described as an innocent context.
“Kids are cute and lovable. I want to hug, kiss and cuddle them. I tweet about it. Nothing I tweeted was from perversion,” she said.
Her team has since begun deleting the posts, citing concern for her family and accusing a “faceless mob” of twisting the context of decade old content.
Regulatory and Commercial Risk
Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, indicated it is prepared to investigate the matter if formal complaints are filed.
The episode underscores the growing risks public figures face from archived social media content in an era of heightened digital accountability. For Simi, the stakes extend beyond online reputation. Brand endorsements, tour prospects, and corporate partnerships could be affected depending on how the controversy evolves.
Still, she remains defiant.
“I’ve never been depraved in my life… I wasn’t trying to hide it, because I don’t have anything to hide,” she wrote.
What began as a forceful stand against sexual violence has now become a case study in how quickly advocacy can collide with digital history, and how reputations can pivot in a matter of hours.
