Real Warri Pikin apologises to husband after Timaya lift video sparks backlash
Real Warri Pikin won the Best Stand-Up Comedian award at the African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA) festival in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday. During Timaya’s performance of his hit song Ukwu, she joined him on stage and he lifted her as part of his routine. A video of the lift spread online, drawing criticism from some Nigerians who deemed the interaction inappropriate because she is married. In an Instagram video on Sunday, she explained that she had been backstage, responded instinctively to Timaya’s call for a woman to join him, and pleaded not to be lifted before eventually complying to avoid disrupting his act. She apologised to her husband, Ikechukwu Asuoha, and to Nigerians who were disappointed, insisting the moment was spontaneous and not pre-planned.
The incident reignites debate over how married women are expected to behave in public, especially in the entertainment sphere. Commenters labelled her “online in-laws,” with some suggesting she should leave her marriage over the episode, while others expressed genuine concern. The backlash overshadowed her award win and highlights the clash between Nigeria’s conservative social norms and the freewheeling nature of live performances.
Her husband was reportedly unhappy about the incident, and neither he nor Timaya has publicly commented as of now. Real Warri Pikin’s apology came while she was still in the United States. When a spontaneous stage moment clashes with marital expectations, where should the line be drawn between entertainment and propriety?