Ijeoma Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, winner of Big Brother Naija season 7, faced backlash on social media after sharing photos from her vacation in The Maldives.
Despite the criticism, she told PUNCH Online that she was prepared for any negativity directed towards her and maintained that she did not go against her own values.
She added, “Nigerians just want to ‘show themselves’, because it’s me. I only kicked against setting a camera and ring light and dressing in front of it in the name of ‘Get Ready With Me’ video. In all of this, I love their tears. They should bring it on.”
Phyna, who has been open about rejecting advances from men who tried to take her on dates or become intimate with her, explained that some men mistook her for being easily swayed like other women.
She said, “Like I said, it is hate (reactions she has been getting) but it is not their fault that they grew up around women that sold themselves for money, so I really don’t blame them. I grew up as a strong woman and a hustler. I love to enjoy the money I made from working hard, so I politely put them in their place, violently (laughs).”
Her diverse talents have helped her pursue her dream of becoming an actress.
She said, “It was great, and I had fun doing it. Being multitalented made it quite easy for me. Producing and acting is not tasking at all, because it has always been a dream career for me; and now, I am doing it.
Regarding her prize money from BBN, Phyna mentioned that she was making progress in collecting the remaining amount, describing the process as being ’65 per cent progressive’.
