Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Temilade Openiyi, known as Tems, has spoken out about receiving death threats following pregnancy rumours sparked by her appearance at Burberry’s Spring/Summer 2024 London Fashion Week show. Tems, who wore a black dress with a purple fluffy coat, addressed the speculations in a recent interview with The Beat 99.9 FM, Lagos.
The singer clarified that the rumours were baseless and mentioned receiving messages, including death threats, on social media. She expressed surprise at the seriousness of the speculations and denied any relationship with American rapper Future, who was allegedly linked to her supposed pregnancy. Tems emphasized that she has never met Future, despite collaborating on the Grammy-winning song, ‘Wait For U,’ alongside Drake.
“When I heard [the rumours] that I was pregnant, I didn’t actually think anybody believed it. I didn’t know it was serious until I started getting messages like death threats, like, ‘How dare you? Of all the people in the world, Future, really?’ And I’ve never met him in my life. So it’s crazy,” Tems shared during the interview.
In addition to dispelling the pregnancy rumours, Tems revealed her interest in directing a music video for Nigerian artist Asake. She expressed admiration for Asake’s artistic talent and clarified that her inclination towards him is purely professional and centered around directing his music video.
This revelation sheds light on the challenges that celebrities face, including unwarranted speculations and the negative impact of social media, while also highlighting Tems’ commitment to her craft and her desire to contribute to the music industry in various creative capacities.
