Afrobeats artist Tiwa Savage has revisited one of her darkest periods, considering how she managed to survive the disclosure of her sex tape and the ensuing personal hardships.
Savage described how her world was rocked in October 2021 when a private video of her and her partner was leaked online after she disclosed that she was being blackmailed in an open interview with British media personality Zeze Mills on YouTube. She had recently lost her father, so the leak came at an especially difficult moment.
Tiwa said, “My dad died and my sex tape was released. The only way I could have survived was not to think about it,” describing the period as the lowest point in her career.
Tiwa claimed that despite the trauma, being interviewed was a blessing because it made her realize that, despite everything she had been through, people still wanted to hear from her.
“Being here on the couch with you is such a blessing. Just the fact that you even want to talk to me, people want to hear what I want to say after how many years. It feels good. I’ve gone through so much, but have I really enjoyed the moment?” she reflected.
The singer acknowledged that, aside from her love for her son Jamil, whom she shares with her ex-husband and former manager Tunji Balogun (Teebillz), she has never really experienced true love. The pair got divorced in 2018 after getting married in 2013.
She confessed, “I don’t think I’ve experienced true love apart from my son. Because every time I look back at all my relationships, I’m like, nah, that wasn’t love. I was just infatuated. At that time I thought I was in love. I don’t think I experienced true love even when I was married,”
Speaking about how she currently views relationships, Tiwa Savage stated that she now gives financial security top priority when selecting a partner.
“I used to make mistake dating down saying I don’t care if you’re not making money, it’s just love. But now, I think I need someone that just has money. I think I’m at that point now. Love is really nice but you can judge me for wanting a wealthier person if you want,” she said.
After years of trying the opposite, Savage continued, she now wants to know what it’s like to date a man with more money.
