Popular Nigerian rapper and actor, Folarin Falana, known professionally as Falz, has denied ever having a personal relationship with controversial crossdresser, Bobrisky.
Falz made the statement during a televised interview on Arise TV on Wednesday evening, where he also gave an update on his ongoing legal battle with social media personality, VeryDarkMan.
Background of Falz’s controversy
The controversy began in 2023 when VeryDarkMan, whose real name remains unknown, allegedly leaked a private phone conversation between Falz and Bobrisky. At the time, Bobrisky was reportedly behind bars.
Following the leak, rumours spread rapidly across social media. Many speculated that Falz might be involved in a secret relationship with Bobrisky. The viral audio clip caused a stir and raised questions about the singer’s personal life.
In response, Falz filed a defamation lawsuit against VeryDarkMan, accusing him of spreading false and damaging information. The case has since gained widespread public attention.
Update on court proceedings
During the interview, Falz confirmed that the court case is still ongoing. He revealed that his legal team, which includes his father, respected human rights lawyer Femi Falana, had filed a substantive suit against VeryDarkMan for defamation.
“Update on the court case, very much still in court,” Falz said. “There’s a substantive suit which myself and my dad filed, alleging defamation.”
He explained that instead of responding directly to the defamation claims, VeryDarkMan’s team tried to stop the case by filing a preliminary objection. They argued that the court did not have the right to hear the matter.
However, Falz noted that the court dismissed that objection. “The court has thrown out that preliminary objection. Now they have to enter a defence, or the court will just go on to rule on the case,” he added.
Falz declined to go into further detail, citing legal limitations. “I can’t really say much about the subject of current litigation, so I will leave it there,” he said.
Clarifying his connection with Bobrisky
Falz firmly denied having any prior relationship with Bobrisky. He explained that the phone call in question was not romantic or personal. Instead, it was a response to a message Bobrisky had sent on Instagram, asking for help.
“I never had any relationship with Bobrisky before that phone call,” Falz said. “He messaged me on Instagram and said, ‘I’m in this case and I want to speak to you about how you can help.’”
Falz added that it was not unusual for him to receive such requests. “Thousands of people message me about similar stuff like that. This is not a special case; it’s not exceptional in any way.”
According to him, he often listens to people who ask for help, especially when their situations seem urgent. “In a lot of those cases, I give them an audience. I ask, what is the issue? How can I help? Compassionately,” he said.
However, he now regrets being too trusting. “Little did I know,” he added with a sigh. “As they say, once bitten, twice shy.”
Falz plans to be more careful
While the incident has made Falz more cautious, he stressed that it will not stop him from helping people entirely. Still, he admitted he may now take a more careful approach.
“At the end of the day, maybe I won’t help anyone again in my life,” he joked, “but maybe I will just be much more conscious.”
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Court hears Falana, Falz’s N1 bn defamation suit against VDM Feb 19