Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage has revealed that her leaked private video was exposed as part of a bet involving her then-boyfriend and his friends.

The singer shared the details during an interview on The Breakfast Club, an American radio show. She described the incident as traumatic and said she now sees herself as a victim.

Boyfriend allegedly behind leak

The private video surfaced online in 2021 and triggered widespread reactions. At the time, reports claimed a blackmailer leaked the footage after Savage refused to pay hush money.

However, Savage said her boyfriend first told her the video had been sent by mistake while he was trying to save it. She later discovered a different story.

According to the singer, the leak stemmed from a wager between her boyfriend and his friends.

“Even that itself was traumatic because he was my boyfriend, we were in a relationship, and I’m hearing later that it was a bet. So, did you really like me, or was this just planned from the beginning?” she said.

Savage said the betrayal hurt deeply because she trusted him.

How the experience changed her

The singer said the incident made her more cautious in her personal life.

“I’m not going to anyone’s hotel cause you can have cameras hidden; yeah, you’re coming to my safe space.”

She explained that she now prefers meeting partners in places she controls. She also wants to protect her son from unnecessary public attention.

Rejecting publicity stunt claims

Savage also dismissed claims that she leaked the video to gain publicity.

“They thought I did it for PR. A lot of people thought, ‘Ah, 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 said many people wrongly assumed she staged the incident to stay relevant.

The singer added that she initially used humour to cope with the fallout. She even referenced the controversy in her song Loaded.

Looking back, Savage said she did not fully process the experience at the time. She added that legal efforts against those responsible failed because the process became emotionally difficult.