The moviemaker and culture critic, Charles Novia, as usual shared his thoughts on pop culture’s biggest driver at the moment – the crumbled marriage between singer Tiwa Savage and her manager, Tunji Balogun aka Teebillz. His thoughts ended with a stark prediction – that it is going to be “very very hard” for Ms. Savage’s career to recover from this scandal.

We couldn’t disagree more.

It is true that, as at Thursday, Ms. Savage’s career faced grave danger. Her husband had made grave accusations, accusing her of sleeping with a slideshow of industry colleagues, pointing at her mother for witchcraft, accusing her of ‘being a bad wife’ – whatever that means – and blaming her for, all considered, destroying his life.



He did this in the most scandalous of ways – through a series of posts on social media platform Instagram, that were striking because, even in a time when celebrities have routinely lost their heads, this kind of recklessness sets a new standard.

His friends, musicians Banky W, Peter Okoye and others had to step in to rescue a man who had clearly, by his hand or not, lost his mind.

The reaction of the public was predictable in its brutality. She was condemned for that crime only women are ever condemned for – focusing ‘too much’ on her career and not keeping her home. The woman who has (tiringly) been called Nigeria’s Beyonce became known and called by another ‘b’ word, and it wasn’t complimentary. The consensus was swift – Tiwa Savage was a terrible person.

But by Friday, everything has changed,

Ms. Savage proved her savvy by responding swiftly. She gave an exclusive interview to Thisday and the Pulse on Friday, where – sporting no make up and looking distressed – she tackled every single accusation lobbed at her by her husband.

Within 24 hours public opinion had balanced, now lop-sided in defense of her. If her version of events is to be believed – and a forgiving public already has chosen belief – she is a woman who got into a bad marriage, who was cheated and stolen from by a husband not worthy of her affection, and who was clearly abandoned by a man whose overreach is only matched with the rashness with which he aired his family’s dirty laundry in public.

We are more interested in the way she has chosen to handle this state of affairs.

Her choice of a proper interview was smart and dignified. Her language of engagement was restrained and refined, choosing a clinic dissection of the issues instead of angry mudslinging.

There are those that are quick to condemn musicians and actors for being undisciplined and rascally. Ms. Savage put them to shame by handling her moment of crisis like a true professional, with a focus on sustaining her career, maintaining her course and keeping her future in sight.

She revealed sympathy for her husband, she was clear with fact, figure and detail, she played the part of ‘hurt and discarded’ wife with flair and if this was acted for the camera, then we have to say it was acted very well and with panache.

There is a dignity that is required of public personalities. Not because of any inherent goodness or brilliance, but because the burden of a public image necessarily accelerates the learning of good graces, the acquisition of leadership virtues and the value of restraint.

We have been severely disappointed by the way several celebrities have betrayed accidental success and faulty breeding when faced with disgrace, scandal or misstep of a degree much lighter than a woman accused of such faults that her husband may have attempted suicide.

Still Ms. Savage handled herself with a dignity that has been rare, with a grace that we could only have hoped for and with a fortitude that will certainly serve not just her colleagues as a new standard, but the general public in a time when decorous behavior appears to have gone out of style.

We can only wish her strength, and fortitude, as she raises a child, steadies an enviable career and builds a future in this most uncertain of times.

It is in times of crisis that the true mettle of the people we are, is tested, revealed and approved.

Story for the dogs ooo