Nigerian singer and songwriter Simi, born Simisola Kosoko, has responded to controversy surrounding some of her old social media posts, saying the remarks were taken out of context and had nothing to do with any improper conduct.
The backlash followed renewed online discussions after the singer strongly condemned rape during conversations sparked by the trending Mirabel TikToker case. In her comments, Simi said men should stop raping women and suggested that rapists deserve severe punishment, noting that nearly every woman she knows has experienced sexual assault. Her stance triggered heated exchanges on social media, with critics revisiting tweets she posted over a decade ago.
After days of criticism on X (formerly Twitter), the singer released a statement on Sunday explaining the context of the resurfaced posts.
“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 tweets date back to 2012 and 2013, when she was living with her mother and helping out at her mother’s daycare centre while working to build her music career. She described that period as a time when she, like many others, casually shared daily experiences online.
“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 said.
Addressing specific tweets that have circulated widely, including comments about hugging and kissing children at the daycare, she insisted they reflected innocent observations about children’s behaviour.
“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 stated.
The singer stressed that she would not allow her past to be distorted to support what she described as false narratives.
“What I can’t let anyone do is twist my story to fit false narratives,” she wrote, adding that some of the tweets had been deleted due to the sensitivity of the situation for her family.
“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.
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Simi also reaffirmed her stance against sexual violence, saying her recent comments were 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.”
The controversy has continued to spark debate online, with supporters defending the singer’s explanation and critics questioning the tone of the resurfaced posts.
