- Daniel Etim-Effiong opens up on how deeply it affects him when people attack her wife, Toyosi for simply being herself.
- He stressed that the constant criticism she receives online still stings and makes him worry about her.
Nollywood actor Daniel Etim-Effiong has opened up about the impact of online criticism on his wife, Toyosi.
In a recent conversation with Toyosi on her YouTube channel, Daniel shared his thoughts on the backlash she often receives when discussing their marriage online.
Daniel acknowledged that Toyosi’s outspoken nature, which he has come to admire, can sometimes attract negative comments. He expressed his discomfort with people criticizing her for being herself, stating that it hurts him to see her facing such backlash.
The actor admitted that it took time for him to understand and appreciate Toyosi’s boldness, but he has grown to love this aspect of her personality.
He expressed his desire for people to respect her individuality and allow her to be herself without criticism.
In his words:
“From the first day I met you, I’ve known you to be very bold and outspoken about your beliefs,” Daniel said to Toyosi. “If you love someone, the whole world has to know about it, but I’m very different. I’m not like that—I’m very reserved in my expression of things like that, but you are very out there with things that you love.”
“For that reason, when I see people come at you for just being you, it hurts me. I’m like, ‘you guys are just throwing stones at someone who just wants to be, who is just expressing herself, she’s just being herself because of who she is. She’s just being herself’ so it hurts me.
“A huge part of social media doesn’t see that about you, how beautiful that is—and it took time for me to understand that about you. In the beginning, it used to irk me but I’ve come to understand that is just who you are and I love that about you. Even I am constantly adjusting myself. I also get very bothered about how you’re faring, even though you shrug it off.
“I understand that what people see is just the tip of the iceberg. Sometimes I worry if it gets to you even though you say it doesn’t, and I want them to back off and let you be yourself”.