SIMI SPEAKS OUT ON OLD TWEETS AMID RAPE ADVOCACY BACKLASH

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By: Fasasi Hammad

Simi, born Simisola Kosoko, has addressed the controversy surrounding some of her resurfaced social media posts, insisting that they were taken out of context and did not suggest any inappropriate behaviour.

The backlash followed renewed online debates after the singer condemned rape in discussions sparked by the Mirabel TikToker case, which recently gained attention on social media. In her comments, Simi stated that men should stop raping women and that rapists deserve castration, noting that nearly every woman she knows has experienced sexual assault. Her remarks triggered heated exchanges with critics who disagreed with her stance.

After facing days of criticism on the X platform, the singer issued a statement on Sunday explaining that she had been alerted to tweets she made years ago and felt the need to clarify them.

She said the posts dated back to 2012, a time when she was less publicly known. According to her, she was living with her mother and helping out at her mother’s daycare centre while working to build her music career. She explained that she frequently shared everyday experiences online, including lighthearted comments about children at the daycare.

Simi maintained that the tweets reflected innocent observations, describing children as playful, cute, and affectionate. She stressed that none of her posts stemmed from any form of perversion and rejected attempts to reinterpret them to fit what she called false narratives.

The singer also revealed that some of the tweets had been deleted due to the sensitivity of the matter, particularly out of consideration for her family, though she said she initially did not want them removed.

The renewed scrutiny came shortly after she publicly reiterated her opposition to rape and sexual violence. Screenshots of tweets from 2012 and 2013 subsequently circulated online, drawing mixed reactions from social media users.

Responding to the criticism, Simi firmly denied any wrongdoing, stating that she has “never been depraved” and emphasising that her stance against rape and sexual assault has always been consistent. She added that while she does not claim to be perfect, she stands by her call for an end to sexual violence against women.

The issue continues to generate debate online, with varying interpretations of the resurfaced posts.