Nigerian singer and songwriter Simisola Kosoko, popularly known as Simi, has responded to renewed attention on some of her old social media posts, saying they were misunderstood and not linked to any improper behaviour.
The issue resurfaced after she spoke out against rape during discussions sparked by the Mirabel TikToker case, which recently trended online.
Simi had urged that men should stop raping women and called for rapists to be castrated, adding that almost every woman she knows has been sexually assaulted. Her comments led to heated debates online.
After facing backlash from trolls on X over several days, Simi issued a statement on her social media page on Sunday, explaining why she felt the need to clarify her old tweets.
“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.
She said the posts were from 2012, a time very different from her life in the public eye today.
“At that time, I lived with my mom and helped out at her daycare while hustling my music career,” she explained. “I tweeted about everything in my life, as we all did back then.”
Simi added that the posts were mostly casual observations about the kids at the daycare.
“Kids can be mischievous. If a child did something funny, I tweeted about it. Kids are cute and lovable. I wanted to hug, kiss, and cuddle them. Nothing I tweeted was perverted,” she said.
She stressed that she would not allow her past posts to be misrepresented to push false stories.
“What I can’t let anyone do is twist my story to fit false narratives,” she said.
Simi also said some tweets had been deleted because of their sensitive nature.
“My team has been deleting some of my tweets because it’s sensitive for my family. Honestly, I did not want to,” she added.
The old posts gained attention shortly after she spoke out against rape and sexual violence, with social media users sharing screenshots of tweets from 2012 and 2013.
One widely shared tweet from November 12, 2013, read: “I wonder if anyone’s ever used breast milk to bake cake before.” Other tweets included:
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“David has a crush on me. He kips comn close; actin lik he wana lock lips n den he puts his head on my lap. Shd I giv him a chance? P.S: Hes 4.”
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“love to kiss d kids at my mum’s daycare – they’re super adorable and I’m crazy abt ’em.”
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“Why this 4yr old boy tryna put hand inside ma shet????? Ogbeni wash it oh!”
Simi clarified that these posts were never meant to suggest anything inappropriate.
“I’ve never been depraved in my life,” she said.
She also reaffirmed her stance on sexual violence, saying her recent comments on rape reflect 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 added.
The discussion over her old tweets continues on social media, with people divided over how they should be interpreted.
