Nigerian singer and songwriter Simisola Kosoko, also known as Simi, has responded to controversy surrounding some of her old social media posts, stating that the comments were misinterpreted and unrelated to any improper conduct.
The reaction followed renewed online discussions after the singer spoke against rape amid conversations triggered by the Mirabel TikToker case, which recently gained traction on social media.
She said that men should stop raping women and rapists should be castrated, citing that almost every woman she knows has been sexually assaulted, which resulted in a social media battle between her and those with contradictory opinions
After days of backlash by trolls on the X app, Simi shared a statement via her social media page on Sunday, that artiste was alerted to the tweets she made years ago and felt compelled to provide context.
“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.
Simi explained that the posts dated back to 2012, a period she described as markedly different from her current public visibility.
According to her, she was living with her mother at the time and assisting at her mother’s daycare centre while building her music career.
“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,” she stated.
Addressing the nature of the posts, the singer said the tweets reflected casual observations about children at the daycare.
“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,” she wrote.
She added that she would not allow her past comments to be “twisted” to support what she described as false narratives.
“What I can’t let anyone do is twist my story to fit false narratives,” she said.
Simi also disclosed that some of the posts had been removed due to the sensitivity of the situation.
“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,” she added.
The renewed attention emerged shortly after the singer joined conversations condemning rape and sexual violence, prompting social media users to circulate screenshots of posts made between 2012 and 2013.
Among the posts widely shared online was a tweet dated November 12, 2013, which read, “I wonder if anyone’s ever used breast milk to bake cake before.”
Other resurfaced tweets included, “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.”
“love to kiss d kids at my mum’s daycare – they’re super adorable and I’m crazy abt ’em.”
“Why this 4yr old boy tryna put hand inside ma shet????? Ogbeni wash it oh!”
Responding to reactions trailing the posts, the singer maintained that the remarks were never intended to suggest anything inappropriate.
“I’ve never been depraved in my life,” she wrote.
She also reiterated her position on sexual violence, describing her recent comments on rape as consistent with her long-held beliefs.
“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,” she said.
The development has continued to generate debate across social media platforms, with differing opinions on the interpretation of the old posts.
Punch