Tiwa Savage Speaks Out on Seyi Shay Feud, Denies Blocking Female Artists’ Opportunities
Afrobeats superstar Tiwa Savage has finally broken her silence on her long-standing feud with fellow Nigerian singer Seyi Shay, offering her version of events and addressing rumours that she has hindered the success of other women in the industry.
Speaking candidly on the OffAir with Gbemi & Toolz podcast, Tiwa reflected on her viral 2021 confrontation with Seyi Shay at a Lagos salon – a clash that dominated social media for days. The singer explained that the altercation was rooted in deeper, unresolved tension that stemmed from what she described as a “diss track” aimed at her.
“I’m not going to act friendly in a salon when you’ve done a diss track about me,” she said. “That was huge and honestly, it hurt.”
Addressing persistent industry rumours, Tiwa firmly denied claims that she has ever tried to block deals or opportunities for her female peers, including Seyi Shay and Victoria Kimani. She challenged anyone making such accusations to produce proof.
“If you’ve heard I stopped someone’s bag, mention their name,” she stated. “I’m very pro-women. I love to see other women win – it doesn’t take anything away from me.”
To counter the narrative, Tiwa recounted a personal experience from her career when she lost a Pepsi endorsement after her pregnancy, a deal that later went to Seyi Shay.
“When I got pregnant and had my son, Jamil, I was dropped from a Pepsi campaign because I couldn’t bounce back quickly enough, and Seyi was brought in,” she revealed. “So how can I be the one blocking others?”
Tiwa concluded with a call for accountability in the entertainment industry, urging artists to name those responsible for spreading misinformation rather than fuelling rumours behind the scenes.
“The only way to fix this is to call people out directly,” she said. “But nobody ever wants to.”
Her comments have reignited public debate around the high-profile 2021 feud, marking the first time Tiwa Savage has directly addressed the controversy since the incident.
