Cynthia Ezegwu
Nigerian singer Iyanya Onoyom Mbuk, popularly known as Iyanya, has called for greater empathy towards celebrities, stressing that fame does not protect public figures from emotional and mental struggles.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, the Your Waist crooner reflected on the pressures of fame, describing life in the spotlight as “a double-edged sword.”
“We need to understand that celebs are humans with deep feelings and struggles like everyone else. Beyond the media glamorisation of their lives and personalities is a human simply asking and wishing and yearning to be human like the rest of us. It is a double-edged sword,” he wrote.
Iyanya also noted that male celebrities often experience heightened internal struggles due to societal expectations that discourage vulnerability.
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“For male celebrities, perhaps there may be an even deeper level of struggle to come back up when one has hit a low — because men are wired to be stoic, not show vulnerability, not ask for help or they’d be considered weak,” he added.
His post has since drawn attention from fans and fellow entertainers, many of whom expressed support and agreement with his remarks on the hidden emotional toll of fame.