Nigerian singer Simi has broken her silence after an old tweet from 2012 resurfaced online and stirred heated reactions across social media.
The post, originally shared on March 14, 2012, mentioned a four-year-old boy named David and described him as having a crush on her.
Resurfaced Tweet Sparks Online Outrage
In the tweet, which has since been deleted, the singer joked about the child coming close to her, acting as though he wanted to kiss her, and resting his head on her lap.
She ended the post by asking if she should “give him a chance,” adding that he was four years old.
The tweet read, “David has a crush on me. He kips comn close; actin lik he wana lock lips n den he puts his head on my lap.Shd I giv him a chance? P.S: Hes 4.”
After the post resurfaced, some social media users criticised the singer, accusing her of sexualising a minor. Others called for an investigation into the matter.
Simi Responds With Detailed Explanation
Reacting in a lengthy statement shared on her X page late Sunday, Simi said she was alerted to the old tweets and felt the need to address them directly.
She explained that she was 23 at the time and living at her mother’s daycare centre while working hard to build her music career. According to her, she often shared everyday experiences online, including funny moments involving children.
The singer stressed that her comments were never rooted in perversion. She said children can be playful and affectionate, and she tweeted about such moments in a light-hearted way.
“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.
“14 years ago, I was 23, so I was definitely not a child. I’m not here to make excuses because I don’t have anything to make excuses for. What I can’t let anyone do is twist my story to fit false narratives.
“In 2012, I lived and helped out at my mom’s daycare while I was hustling my music. I tweeted everything that happened in my life, as we all did at the time. Kids can be mischievous.
“If a child did something I found funny, I tweeted about it. Kids are cute and lovable. I want to hug, kiss and cuddle them. I tweet about it. Nothing I tweeted was from perversion.
“I was not famous, so maybe if I was, I would have understood that anything is open to whatever interpretation including being used falsely by a faceless mob. I’ve never been depraved in my life.
“You can retweet all the tweets in the world about me loudly crushing on people I admire/d. Or being a cheeky young woman. I wasn’t trying to hide it, because I don’t have anything to hide.
“My team has been deleting some of my tweets because of how sensitive it is for my family. To be honest, I did not want to. I have always spoken against rape and sexual assault even before you knew I existed.
“It’s not a costume I’m wearing, it’s who I am. I’ve never claimed to be perfect. I’ve never claimed to know everything. I said stop raping women. I stand by it.”
Deletes Old Posts Amid Family Concerns
Simi also revealed that members of her team have started removing some of the old tweets due to how sensitive the issue has become for her family. She admitted she initially did not want them deleted.
The singer maintained that she has consistently used her voice to speak against rape and sexual assault.
She insisted that the resurfaced tweet does not reflect any immoral behaviour and rejected claims that attempt to paint her in a different light.
The controversy continues to generate debate online, with opinions sharply divided over the intent and interpretation of the old post.
