Nigerian singer Simisola Kosoko, popularly called 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 response came after the artist spoke out against rape in the midst of talks sparked by the Mirabel TikToker case, which has acquired popularity on social media.
Citing the fact that nearly every woman she knows has experienced sexual assault, she declared that men should cease raping women and that rapists should be castrated.
This led to a social media dispute between her and individuals who held opposing views.
Following days of criticism from trolls on the X app, Simi posted a statement on her social media profile on Sunday, saying that the musician felt obliged to give context after being made aware of her previous comments.
“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 clarified that the posts were from 2012, which she said was very different from her present level of public recognition.
She claims that while developing her music career, she was living with her mother at the time and helping out at her daycare center.
“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.
Regarding the posts’ nature, the singer stated that they were a reflection of informal observations on the daycare’s kids.
“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.
Simi 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.
She also revealed 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 singer’s participation in discussions denouncing rape and sexual abuse sparked the increased interest, and social media users shared images of her posts from 2012 to 2013.
A tweet from November 12, 2013, that said, “I wonder if anyone’s ever used breast milk to bake cake before,” was one of the posts that went viral online.
Other resurfaced tweets included, “David has a crush on me. He keeps coming close, acting like he wana lock lips, and then he puts his head on my lap. Should I give him a chance? P.S: He’s 4.”
“I love to kiss the kids at my mom’s daycare—they’re super adorable, and I’m crazy about them.”
“Why is this 4-year-old boy tryna put hand inside ma shet????? Ogbeni, wash it, oh!”
Responding to reactions trailing the posts, the ‘Duduke’ crooner maintained that the remarks were never intended to suggest anything inappropriate.
“I’ve never been depraved in my life,” she wrote.
She also emphasized 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.
