Nigerian Afrobeats singer, Tiwa Savage, has revealed that her 2021 leaked sex tape was circulated as part of a bet, not an accident, calling it one of the most traumatic experiences of her life. She made the disclosure during an interview with The Breakfast Club, released Tuesday.
“When I talked about the sex tape … that’s how I was able to kind of like, try and get through it. But in hindsight, did I really deal with it? I don’t think so. I was hurt… I was a victim,” Savage said.
The award-winning singer explained that her then-boyfriend had initially claimed the tape was leaked mistakenly, but she later discovered it had been shared deliberately. “He said he was trying to save it, and then he pressed send by accident… I later on found out that it was a bet with his friends,” she said.
Savage also revealed the scandal fuelled damaging rumours that she orchestrated the leak for publicity. “They thought I did it for PR. A lot of people thought, ‘oh, she’s not relevant anymore, and she’s doing this.’ And I’m like, guys, trust me, if I wanted to do that, I would have had better lighting.”
She admitted attempts to seek justice collapsed under the emotional toll. “We tried, actually. But yeah, we couldn’t. And me trying was just, it was just too traumatic for me to keep talking about it. I just wanted to move on from it,” she explained.
The Afrobeats star said public backlash was harsher than the tape itself, as critics questioned her role as a mother. “They brought my son into it and said I was unfit… my son’s gonna grow up and see this and he’s gonna be disappointed in his mom. That hurt me more than the actual thing.”
Savage disclosed that she remains celibate three years after the scandal, with therapy and family support helping her heal. “My mom called me and said, ‘don’t listen to them… I’m just happy that you’re enjoying yourself.’ Hearing my mom say that helped.”
The singer added that the ordeal still affects her music, with certain tracks too painful to perform. “There were a lot of times I was crying, especially the first record. That took me like four attempts to record. Even now when I listen to the album, I skip that. I haven’t been able to perform it.”
Savage, 45, described herself as stronger and more selective in relationships, saying intimacy now comes only within meaningful connections. “I’ve gone like maybe three years without. I have to be with someone for me to even think about it. I don’t have toys… maybe that’s what people should get me for Christmas,” she joked.
