Nigerian music star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has opened up about how a leaked private photo in the early days of his career left him emotionally overwhelmed and changed his perspective on fame, privacy and trust.
Speaking in an interview titled “Davido Joins The Vibe Q,” published on VIBE Magazine’s official YouTube channel on Thursday, the singer said the incident happened about two months after his breakout songs catapulted him to stardom.
Davido recalled that he had released only two hit songs when he travelled to Ghana for a performance and was stunned by the overwhelming reception he received.
“I have like one song, I have like two records, but these are like the biggest records ever,” he said.
Describing the reception, Davido said it felt comparable to that of global pop stars.
“It’s like Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber type. So I’m like, yo, we lit,” he said.
According to the singer, his career was taking off rapidly, with new milestones almost every week.
“Every week is just something new. I’m excited. I’m like, yo, I’m blowing up every week. We’re going higher in the charts,” he added.
Davido said his first encounter with the downside of fame came after spending time with a woman he met during the trip.
According to him, while he was asleep in his hotel room, the woman allegedly took a photograph of him and shared it after people questioned her claim that she was with the singer.
“Apparently she was telling people like, ‘Oh, I’m with Davido.’ They’re like, ‘No, you’re lying.’ And then she took the picture,” he recalled.
The photo quickly circulated, prompting calls from members of his family.
“My daddy was calling me. My sisters were calling me,” he said.
Reflecting on the incident, Davido said the experience left him deeply shaken and changed the way he viewed celebrity life.
“If I saw a balcony that day, I would have jumped. I was going crazy,” he said, describing the emotional distress he experienced at the time.
The singer said the incident became a lasting lesson about the challenges of fame, adding that it changed his approach to privacy and trust.
“You’re young, you’re famous, you’re a target. Even if you want to have fun, take their phones,” he advised.
