Nigerian singer Simisola Bolatito Kosoko, known as Simi, has addressed public criticism following the resurfacing of her social media posts from over a decade ago. The controversy emerged after Simi commented on the high-profile sexual assault case involving TikToker Mirabel, who later retracted her allegations. In that context, Simi had stated that rapists should be “burnt and castrated,” a remark that divided online audiences. Subsequently, social media users retrieved older tweets from 2012, drawing attention to posts where Simi referenced interactions with young children at her mother’s daycare. One such tweet described a four-year-old’s behaviour using colloquial and suggestive language, which critics interpreted as inappropriate.
Responding via her X page, Simi clarified the circumstances surrounding those older posts. She noted that at the time, she was 23 years old and was living at home while assisting with her mother’s daycare business as she pursued her music career. Simi explained that she frequently tweeted about her daily experiences, including humorous incidents involving the children in her care. “Kids can be mischievous. If a child did something I found funny, I tweeted about it,” she stated, emphasising that her affection for children was innocent and rooted in care, not perversion. She added that as an unknown figure then, she did not anticipate how her words could be misconstrued or weaponised by others. Some of the old tweets have since been deleted to protect her family’s privacy, she said.
Simi firmly rejected any implication that her past remarks reflect a harmful character. “I’ve never been depraved in my life,” she wrote, urging people to consider the full context of her youthful, unfiltered social media presence. She distinguished between her long-held advocacy against sexual violence and the isolated, outdated posts now under scrutiny. “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 affirmed, reiterating her support for severe penalties for perpetrators. “I said stop raping women. I stand by it.”
The episode highlights the lasting impact of digital footprints and the intense public examination faced by celebrities when past content resurfaces amid sensitive societal debates. While the Mirabel case has been retracted, discussions on sexual assault in Nigeria remain active. Simi’s response sought to separate her consistent activism from decontextualised historical posts, framing the backlash as an effort to distort her narrative. Her clarification underscores the tension between personal history and public accountability in the social media age, a challenge increasingly common for public figures navigating evolving cultural norms.
