It Was 3 Years Ago- Azziad Slams News Outlets Over Reports Of Battling Suicidal Thoughts

Kenyan TikTok star, radio host and influencer, Azziad Nasenya on Friday, December 1 assured her fans that her harrowing experience with cyberbullying and contemplating suicide occurred three years ago when her video to the “Utawezana” song by Femi One went viral, turning her into a celebrity overnight.

In a video she posted on her social media pages, Azziad recounted receiving a high number of messages from her online fans who expressed worry regarding her well-being, moments after news reports went viral regarding the ordeal she had shared in an interview with Dr Ofweneke.

Many Kenyans had however mistook the reports as a matter that she recently went through, forcing her to come clean on the harsh reality she faced after the immense success of her dance videos.

Azziad Nasenya clarifies that her harrowing experience with cyberbullying and contemplating suicide occurred three years ago when her video to the “Utawezana” song by Femi One went viral#ViralVideos pic.twitter.com/a50KEYzKXU — Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) December 1, 2023

"I've hardly been on social media, so today morning I woke up and checked my phone and my family on Instagram are like 'Azziad are you okay, we've just seen it...I'm just checking in to find out if you're okay, we've just seen it,' I'm like 'what have you seen?' that I've been having suicidal thoughts and I'm like 'guys, that was like three years ago', and it's not like something that has happened consistently," she addressed.

According to the social media personality, the overwhelming cyberbullying which led her to consider quitting social media and even to contemplate taking her own life was a matter she had opened up on across all her media interviews.

At the time, she revealed that she was at the age of 19 and nearing depression when she was hit by several cyberbullying episodes, revealing that she had no idea it would happen to her despite knowing it.

"It was not like a one-time thing and I've talked about this in all my interviews. I almost fell into depression that time when I faced a lot of bullying, I was 19 and I just hit the internet. I knew there was something like bullying but I did not know that it would happen to me and I did not know it was that serious...I did not know the magnitude of it until it happened to me.

"Guys, relax. Thank you for checking up on me. I am doing okay and I'm grateful to God, I'm grateful to my support team...I am doing okay at this point in life, that was a thought that happened three years ago," she added.

Azziad however criticised news outlets for choosing to report the tip of the iceberg or recycling a matter that occurred three years back and hit out at individuals taking advantage of her narrating her tough times to gain mileage.

"I'm just wondering why some news outlets decided to report half the story or decide to report something that happened three or four years ago and use a current photo without highlighting the fact that you know what, this was about three years ago when that video went viral 

"But you know what, in this country, there are a lot of people who do anything for clickbait or clout, and it's just shameful...it's sad," she continued.

Azziad, who rose to fame with her dance challenge to 'Utawezana,' a hit song by Mejja featuring Femi One, recounted her initial reaction to the virality of her videos. She acknowledged that her previous experiences with TikTok fame had somewhat prepared her for the attention. 

Despite the initial excitement and positive support from fans, Azziad's elation was swiftly overshadowed by the darker side of online attention. 

Describing the shift, she explained, "It was different; people knew me, so it escalated. People were sharing it, I was like okay cool nice. So it was all love, and then before you know it, it was boom, came cyberbullying."

Living alone during the pandemic added a layer of difficulty to the situation, intensifying the impact of online negativity. 

Azziad shared the distressing moment when she found herself on the balcony, contemplating suicide as the weight of the cyberbullying became unbearable. Fortunately, her team, management, and friends stepped in, offering vital support during this challenging period.

"I thought about it because I'm like I'm just a teenager. I have just been doing what I love doing for the past year. What do you mean someone is mad because I danced? I did not hurt anyone; I was just having fun, so that was my lowest moment." she told Dr Ofweneke.

Counsellors, medics, and psychologists advise that you can always reach out for help when experiencing any mental health issues. Call Kenya Red Cross toll-free hotline, 1199, for support.