It is funny how a few seconds of footage can shift public perception so quickly. Olajumoke Orisaguna, who many still remember as the bread seller who stumbled into a photoshoot back in 2016, found herself defending her character this week after a TikTok clip went sideways. The video, which showed her singing along to a song—not even her own song, actually—had people in the comments section whispering about smoking and drinking. It was all a bit much.
She looked tired in that video, maybe just because it was late or the lighting was off, but the internet is never one to wait for context. Misryoum noted that the backlash was swift, with some users openly speculating about her health and habits. It feels like people are always waiting for the other shoe to drop with public figures, doesn’t it? One minute you’re the national darling, and the next, people are diagnosing your life from a fifteen-second clip.
“I’m not happy about the comments I saw,” Olajumoke said on Instagram this Monday. She sounded genuinely frustrated, the kind of frustration you get when you’re tired of explaining yourself. “Some people were saying that I now smoke and drink alcohol. Why would anyone think that about me? It was just content.” I can almost hear the sigh in her voice while reading her statement. She made it clear that she wasn’t raised to drink or smoke, and she finds it bizarre that people would build a whole narrative out of a simple creative exercise.
It is strange to see how things have changed for her. From the streets of Lagos to the runways and now back to a more grounded life, she has been through a lot. Remember, this is the woman who dealt with exploitative management and a difficult marriage—stuff she’s been opening up about on her radio show, ‘Kilon Shele.’ Maybe that’s why people are so sensitive? Or maybe they’re just bored.
I stopped by my desk to grab a coffee, the smell of burnt beans lingering in the air, and wondered if she even enjoys being online anymore. She had to explicitly tell everyone, “Even when I go to parties and I’m offered a drink, I simply leave it on the table.” It sounds like she’s trying to hold onto a version of herself that the public keeps trying to rewrite.
Anyway, it was just content. That’s what she wants us to take away. Whether anyone listens is a different story, but she’s made her stance clear. People are going to talk regardless of what she says, I guess—it’s just how these things go.