Nigerian singer and songwriter Simisola Kosoko, popularly known as Simi, has responded to renewed controversy over resurfaced social media posts, insisting that the remarks were misinterpreted and unrelated to any inappropriate behaviour.
The singer’s response followed intense online discussions sparked by her recent comments condemning rape and sexual violence, which came amid the widely discussed Mirabel TikTok case that trended across social media platforms.
Simi had called for an end to rape and advocated severe penalties for perpetrators, including castration, citing widespread sexual assault experiences among women. Her comments triggered a wave of reactions, with some social media users circulating screenshots of posts she made between 2012 and 2013.
In a statement shared on her social media page, the singer said she was alerted to the old posts and felt compelled to clarify the 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 tweets dated back to 2012, a period she described as markedly different from her current life and public profile.
“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 the content of the posts, the singer maintained that they reflected harmless observations about children at the daycare centre where she assisted her mother.
“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.
She stressed that she would not allow the remarks to be distorted to fit what she described as misleading narratives.
“What I can’t let anyone do is twist my story to fit false narratives,” Simi said.
The singer also revealed that some of the old tweets had been deleted due to their sensitivity and the impact on 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.
Among the resurfaced posts were tweets describing interactions with children at the daycare, including references to hugging and playful behaviour, which some social media users interpreted as inappropriate.
Reacting to the backlash, Simi rejected any insinuation of misconduct.
“I’ve never been depraved in my life,” she said.
She reiterated her long-standing opposition to rape and sexual assault, insisting that her recent advocacy was consistent with her personal beliefs and past positions.
“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,” she wrote.
“I’ve never claimed to be perfect. I’ve never claimed to know everything. I said stop raping women. I stand by it,” she added.
The controversy has continued to generate debate across social media, with users expressing differing opinions on the interpretation of the old posts and the broader conversation around sexual violence advocacy.
