The 45-year-old singer, known for hits like “Kele Kele Love” and her role as a trailblazing Afrobeats icon, described the ordeal as one of the most painful chapters of her life, one that left deep emotional scars and prompted her to embrace three years of celibacy.

The bombshell revelation came during a candid conversation on the podcast “The Truth with Dudu,” released on Tuesday, where Savage reflected on the incident that unfolded four years ago. 

Initially, her boyfriend had claimed the explicit video—showing the couple in a private moment—was shared accidentally while he was trying to save it on a friend’s phone. 

“He said he was trying to save it, and then he pressed send by accident,” she recounted. But the truth emerged later: it was all part of a wager with his buddies, a detail that shattered her trust and amplified her sense of betrayal.

The leak sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s entertainment scene and beyond, igniting a firestorm of online vitriol. 

Savage faced accusations of staging the tape for publicity to revive her career, with critics mocking the video’s “poor lighting” and questioning her relevance. 

“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 quipped, blending humor with heartache.

The backlash cut even deeper on a personal level. Trolls dragged her 9-year-old son, Jamil, into the fray, labeling her an “unfit mother” and warning that he would one day view the tape and feel ashamed. 

“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 admitted, her voice cracking in the interview. 

Despite attempts to pursue legal action, the process proved too retraumatizing. “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.”

Support from her inner circle became a lifeline amid the chaos. Her mother, in a moment of profound maternal wisdom, called to reassure her: “Don’t listen to them… I’m just happy that you’re enjoying yourself.” 

That affirmation, Savage said, was a turning point, helping her reclaim her narrative as a woman unapologetically living her life.

The scandal’s aftermath has reshaped Savage’s approach to intimacy and relationships. 

She confessed to a three-year dry spell, emphasizing her need for emotional connection before physical vulnerability. 

“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, revealing her commitment to therapy as a tool for healing. 

“For therapy, yeah, a lot of people say to me you’re wasting your money. I’m like, what? I love my son, I love my team, my friends. I’ve been married before, I’m 45, I’m good.”