Over the years, social media have become an integral part of communication, interaction, and connection between individuals, including among celebrities. Unlike in the past, where physical presence was needed to speak/express one’s view, a simple tweet, post, and video on an internet platform would immediately get to the receiver in a matter of seconds.
Fans worldwide, particularly in Nigeria, benefit from these communication tools to connect with their favourite celebrities but also hide under the technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target a celebrity perceived to have ‘gone out of the line.’ Cyberbullying is a faceless form of assault that takes place using electronic technology (cell phones, computers, as well as social media platforms and websites).
This form of online violence can take the form of mean text messages or fabricated rumours posted on social networking sites. Nowadays, it is common to see negative comments, abuses, curses, or threats issued by unknown people to celebrities, which go on to take a negative emotional and psychological toll on the victim.
A very recent occurrence is Nollywood actress Toyin Abraham, who, in the past few days, has been faced with heavy backlashes from netizens across social media over her choice of candidate in the 2023 general elections.
The thespian’ trouble started last year when she publicly endorsed Bola Tinubu by sharing pictures of her meeting with the then-presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress alongside the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
She expressed renewed hope and confidence in Tinubu’s vision and strategies for addressing the nation’s challenges in her post.
However, ever since the country’s economy nosedived due to Bola Tinubu-led administration’s decisions to remove subsidy which has induced hardship, pushing many Nigerians below the poverty level, netizens have singled out and criticised Abraham for endorsing and defending her political choice.
Recently, an X user accused the mother of one of arresting his mother for defaming her. Abraham, however, debunked the claims, insisting she never illegally arrested the individual or the mother.
“I said I wasn’t going to say anything anymore, but there are some things that you can’t accuse me wrongly of and expect me not to say something. I would not arrest anybody’s mum because I have a mother as well.
“I never arrested anyone’s mother. I have not committed any crime, and I have only exercised my democratic rights, and they keep bullying me,” Abraham stated.
Despite the actress’s denial, the events took a surprising turn after aggressive fans edited her bio on Wikipedia, tagging her as a bully. Others took the video streaming platform Netflix to demand that her movies be taken down. Expressing deep frustration with the backlash, Abraham hinted at extreme distress and asserted her readiness to die and take those who defame or bully her along.
The controversy drew reactions from several celebrities, including Mr. Macaroni, who warned against using fame and clout to intimidate or lock up fellow citizens. Other celebrities, such as Saidi Balogun, threw their weight behind the actess.
It is important to note that celebrities have been targets of cyberbullying at various times. From Davido to Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, these celebrities are subjected to demeaning vitriols and backlashes over the littlest things.
Similarly, Funke Akindele, another Nollywood actress who’s a victim of cyberbullying, was dragged to the gutters during her campaign as the Lagos deputy governorship candidate under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which she lost.
The actress did not only endure bullying virtually but also physically as she was chased out of a popular Lagos market by suspected thugs while campaigning. Despite the insults hurled at her, Funke, who seems to have grown a tough shell, absorbed the lashes and channelled them to making Nollywood most-grossing movie in 2023.
Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham’s reaction to online bullying
During the heated online controversy between Toyin Abraham with trolls, netizens compared how Funke who, despite being bullied during her campaign as the Lagos deputy governorship candidate under PDP, ignored the attack and went on to achieve one of the most remarkable feat in Nollywood, as she became the first filmmaker to produce the highest-grossing Nollywood movie of all time, unlike Toyin who went ballistic with the trolls, by making series of arrests.
The truth is, regardless of the Buka street star’s perseverance in the face of unprintable backlashes, she recently gave into the pressure, breaking down to weep uncontrollably on an Instagram live session a couple of months ago after an Instagram user wished death on her children. This is not far-fetched from Toyin’s reaction, only that, the Ijakumo star involved the police after breaking down severally over the vitriols thrown at her.
Where do we draw the line?
Like the two actresses above, being a celebrity does not make one immune from the power of cyberbullies. Instead, it leaves a catastrophic impact on the victims. Netizens argued that celebrities should emulate colleagues who stay silent in the face of cruel comments and backlash against them; even these so-called- strong-headed celebrities have had a breaking point. Toyin Abraham may have misused her influence’ during the 2023 general elections, but at the end of the day, how these bullies conduct themselves online is completely unacceptable.
Earlier today, the actress had some National Youth Service Corps members (NYSC) arrived at her movie set, and showered her with love and solidarity in the face of tribulations. It is heartwarming to know that despite the vitriol and immense hate she has endured in the past few months online, Nigerians still have love and kindness.
