Nigerian singer Simi has responded to criticism over old tweets from 2012, saying her words have been taken out of context and do not reflect any form of inappropriate behaviour.
The backlash followed comments Simi made while speaking about sexual assault, where she stated that almost every woman she knows has experienced it at some point in her life.
Her remarks triggered widespread debate on social media, drawing both support and criticism. As the discussion intensified, some users on X resurfaced tweets she made more than a decade ago.
In a detailed statement shared on X, the singer said she felt compelled to address the situation after the old posts were brought to her attention.
“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 were made in 2012, when she was 23 years old, not famous, and living at home. At the time, she said she was helping her mother run a daycare while pursuing her music career.
According to her, the tweets reflected normal, harmless interactions with children and were never meant to suggest anything inappropriate.
“Kids can be mischievous. If a child did something I found funny, I tweeted about it,” she said.
“Kids are cute and lovable. I want to hug, kiss and cuddle them. Nothing I tweeted was from perversion.”
The singer firmly rejected attempts to portray her words as something sinister.
“I’m not here to make excuses because I don’t have anything to make excuses for,” she said.
“What I can’t let anyone do is twist my story to fit false narratives.”
Simi admitted that at the time, she did not fully understand how old social media posts could later be reinterpreted, especially after becoming a public figure.
“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,” she added.
She stressed that she has never engaged in inappropriate conduct and had no reason to hide anything, describing herself as open and expressive online.
Simi also revealed that her team had begun deleting some of the old tweets due to the emotional toll the controversy was taking on her family. She noted that she was initially reluctant to have the posts removed.
