Are We Too Hard on Nigerian Female Celebrities?

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Let’s be honest with ourselves.

Nigerians love celebrities.

We love their weddings.

We love their fashion.

We love their wins.

But we also love dragging them.

And if we’re being completely honest?

We drag Nigerian female celebrities harder.

This isn’t about being sentimental. It’s about patterns. If you observe how the public reacts to female celebrities versus their male counterparts, the difference is obvious.

So the real question is:

Are we too hard on Nigerian female celebrities?

The Double Standard Nobody Wants to Admit

When a male celebrity cheats, the conversation is often:

“Men will always be men.”

“Leave him, it’s normal.”

“Na lifestyle.”

When Nigerian female celebrities are accused of the same thing?

She trends for days.

Her morality is dissected.

Her upbringing is questioned.

Her entire career becomes invalidated.

Take the example of Tiwa Savage. Over the years, her relationships and personal life have consistently dominated headlines more than her music. When her private video was leaked in 2021, instead of focusing solely on the violation of privacy, online discourse quickly shifted to judgment and moral commentary.

Now compare that to how male artists have navigated scandals. Many return to chart-topping music within weeks.

The difference in tone is telling.

Body Policing Is a National Sport

If a female celebrity gains weight, she trends.

If she loses weight, she trends.

If she enhances her body, she trends.

If she insists it’s natural, she trends.

Look at how often conversations around Toke Makinwa focus on her body, lifestyle, or perceived cosmetic procedures instead of her media achievements or business ventures.

Meanwhile, male celebrities rarely face sustained national debates about their physiques.

The obsession with female bodies in Nigerian pop culture is relentless.

Why?

Because we still subconsciously believe women in the public eye owe us perfection.

Marriage: The Permanent Headline

Marriage is another battlefield.

Meanwhile, male celebrities remarry, relocate, rebuild, and rebrand with far less moral interrogation.

The emotional burden is uneven.

In Nigeria, once a female celebrity gets married, she is no longer just an actress or musician.

She becomes a “wife.”

And if that marriage ends?

The blame often tilts in one direction.

For many Nigerian female celebrities, marriage becomes part of their brand whether they like it or not.

If she is single at 35: “What is wrong with her?”

If she is married: “She must endure.”

If she divorces: “She failed.”

If she remarries quickly: “She moved on too fast.”

What exactly do the public want from them?

Consider how the public handled the divorce of Yul Edochie’s first wife, May Edochie, after his second marriage announcement.

Notice the language online.

People rushed to assign virtue and villainy. The woman’s emotional response was dissected. Her silence was analyzed. Her statements were weaponized.

Now flip it.

When male celebrities remarry quickly or publicly navigate relationship scandals, conversations often center on “moving on” or “personal decisions.”

The emotional burden seems heavier for women.

Success Makes Them “Proud”

There’s another pattern.

When a female celebrity is ambitious, confident, and visibly successful, she is often labeled:

“Proud.”

“Too known.”

“Arrogant.”

Look at the commentary that follows outspoken women like Funke Akindele during political or career milestones.

The criticism often goes beyond policy or performance. It becomes personal.

Her tone.

Her facial expression.

Her confidence.

Meanwhile, assertive men are called leaders.

This is not coincidence. It’s conditioning.

The “Good Woman” Standard

Nigerian society still carries a strong expectation of what a “good woman” should look like:

Soft-spoken.

Modest.

Reserved.

Endlessly forgiving.

When Nigerian female celebrities break that mould, by speaking openly about sex, independence, money, or boundaries, backlash follows.

When Tems speaks about autonomy in relationships, it sparks think pieces.

When male artists sing explicitly, it’s “vibes.”

Why does agency feel threatening only when it belongs to a woman?

Internalized Bias Is Real

Another uncomfortable truth?

Sometimes the harshest critics of Nigerian female celebrities are other women.

Internalized standards run deep in Nigerian society. Many of us were raised with strict expectations of what womanhood should look like.

In a society where there should be “women supporting women”, so many times, the opposite is usually the case.

Fellow women are so quick to tear down other women. 

So when Nigerian female celebrities live loudly, independently, or imperfectly, it can trigger projection.

And projection often sounds like judgment.

Social Media: Amplifier of Drag Culture

Let’s not pretend X and Instagram haven’t intensified this issue.

Drag culture trends faster when it involves women.

Screenshots circulate quicker.

Think pieces multiply.

Memes escalate.

Female celebrities are expected to respond perfectly,  not too emotional, not too silent, not too defensive.

It’s an impossible balancing act.

And we, the audience, often forget they are human.

But Let’s Be Fair

This is not to say Nigerian male celebrities don’t face criticism.

They do.

But the nature of that criticism differs.

Men are criticized for actions.

Women are criticized for identity.

A man’s scandal may dent his brand temporarily.

A woman’s scandal often becomes part of her permanent narrative.

That difference matters.

So Why Are We Harder on Them?

Because Nigerian society still polices women more intensely.

Because women are seen as cultural representatives of morality.

Because we expect perfection from women in the public eye.

Because internalized bias runs deep, even among women themselves.

And because outrage trends.

A Shift in Conversation

Maybe it’s time we shift the tone.

Critique actions. Not bodies.

Debate decisions. Not womanhood.

Allow growth. Allow mistakes.

Because at the end of the day, Nigerian female celebrities are navigating fame in a society that already demands perfection from women.

They are artists. Actresses. Entrepreneurs. Mothers. Humans.

And humans are flawed.

Nigeria’s entertainment industry is evolving.

Maybe our conversations about Nigerian female celebrities should evolve too.

Final Thoughts

Are we too hard on Nigerian female celebrities?

Yes.

Not because they are beyond criticism.

But because the scale of scrutiny is uneven.

We celebrate them loudly when they win.

We crucify them louder when they stumble.

And until we acknowledge that imbalance, the cycle will continue.

Because strength doesn’t always look soft.

Success doesn’t always look modest.

And womanhood doesn’t owe us perfection.

If this opinion made you uncomfortable, good.

That’s the point of Weekend Opinion.

Now tell us..

Are we too hard on Nigerian female celebrities? Or are they simply accountable to the public?

Let the debate begin. We definitely want to hear from you.

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