Celebrities are humans like you - Nollywood actor Saidi Balogun

Nollywood actor Saidi Balogun has weighed in on the backlash received by actress Toyin Abraham, emphasising that celebrities deserve the same rights to protect their mental well-being as anyone else.

Taking to his Instagram account on July 10, 2024, he hinted at the hypocrisy behind the outrage celebrities face for doing things non-celebrities do. He asserted that while individuals have the freedom to express their opinions, celebrities should also have the same rights.

He wrote, "You use police to arrest your neighbours for the most minor reasons; e reach celebrity turn, you say it’s bullying. Stop the emotional blackmail. Celebrities are humans, just like you. You are free to say what you like, right? Let celebrities be free to take whatever actions they want to protect their mental space. Freedom should not be selective. God bless."

The actor's post comes amid Toyin Abraham's recent controversy, where reports on social media claimed that she arranged the arrest of a social media user who defamed her. However, Abraham clarified that she did not have any people arrested; she only went to the police to petition the offender.

Toyin Abraham said, "I've had it up to here because you people cursed my child, but I did not arrest anybody's mother. I simply wrote a petition, and they said I should go to the cybercrime department, which I did, and I wrote a petition there. The only reason I didn't put Anthony was because he didn't defame me; he only insulted me and I insulted him too. The truth would come out soon."

During the Instagram livestream, the actress expressed her frustration about the constant backlash from the public.

"I came online on social media to beg everybody to leave me the hell alone. As I am, I want to die. I am ready to die, but before I die, a lot of you bullies will die with me. You bullies have pushed me to the wall and I have gone insane. Now I want to die; I wish to die; I did not commit any crimes."