Award-winning Nigerian music star, Tiwa Savage, has opened up about the emotional pain she endured following the leak of her private sex tape in 2021.

In a recent interview, Savage revealed that the incident — which sparked widespread reactions from fans, critics, and fellow celebrities — left her deeply hurt.

“I was hurt, and it is okay for me to say, I was hurt, I was a victim, it happened to me,” Savage said, admitting the experience was traumatic and life-altering.

The singer disclosed that the intimate video was leaked by her then-boyfriend, who initially claimed it was sent out accidentally. She later discovered that the leak was intentional and the result of a bet.

“He was my boyfriend. I thought we were in a relationship, and then I heard later that it was a bet,” she recounted.

Savage, who addressed the scandal in her hit single Loaded, admitted that she initially tried to downplay her emotions but has since accepted the impact it had on her life.

“I feel like, if I make fun of it, and I pretend like it is not really getting to me, that’s how I will deal with it. But in hindsight, did I really deal with it? I do not think so. Now I am living in the truth, in my truth, and admitting to myself that, yo, that shit hurt me,” she confessed.

Despite the backlash, the singer said she chose not to quit music, instead channelling her pain into her art.

“They thought it was just dirty. And I’m like, I know what some of you guys do is even worse than this, but I was a scapegoat. And that was painful for me, man. It was really painful because they brought my son into it and said I was unfit,” Savage said.