Talk show host and producer,Andre Blaze Henshaw, was accused by a Nigerian writer Olutimehin Adegbeye some week back. But the show host has insisted that he has nothing to say about the allegation.
According to Adegbeye, Andre Blaze sexually assaulted her two years ago while socialite and owner of a nightclub in Lagos, Pretty Mike, allegedly raped her when she was 16-year-old.
However in a chat with Sunday Scoop, the show host mentioned that he had been advised by his lawyer not to speak about the issue.
He stated:
“I have been told by my lawyer to keep mute about this issue for the next couple of days; so, I will not speak about it until my legal team tells me that I am capable of speaking. I saw the allegation and I made a brief statement on social media responding to the situation, not to the person.
“The next thing you will hear is from my legal team. I think a false allegation of sexual assault is a big deal, but the law will take its course. I have never been the person who takes the law into his own hands.”
Olutimehin Adegbeye had accused Andre Blaze and Pretty Mike of sexually assaulting her in Lagos. The lady took to twitter to join in the #TimesUp campaign against sexual abuse on women.
In case you missed it, read her tweets below:
ICYMI: Andre Blaze Henshaw sexually assaulted me two years ago. The BBC (unwittingly) interviewed both of us for a recent program about (toxic/evolving) masculinity and its impacts. I informed the BBC about the assault and asked them to delete/edit that program. They refused.
The BBC has assured me that they are very sorry about the distress they unwittingly caused, and also that they will not be doing anything to mitigate it. Andre Blaze Henshaw, as far as I know, continues to deny that he assaulted me despite there being witnesses of the assault.
It is hypocritical and callous to expect survivors of sexual violence to navigate their trauma AND do the work to eliminate sexual violence alone and unsupported. As long as powerful people & institutions do nothing in the face of allegations, abuse will continue with impunity.
I am disappointed but not surprised by the BBC’s actions, in much the same way that I expect to be disappointed but not surprised by the responses I will receive to my words. But I am not afraid. I am not alone. And I am certainly not powerless. #MeTooindeed.
May 16th will make it two years to the day since Andre assaulted me. In the words of@sisiogelagos, #ItsTime. I’ve never believed that the key to ending sexual violence is survivors speaking out; the key is survivors being believed and abusers being made accountable.
So I have no illusions about a sea change coming out of my going public. But speaking out does many things that are important, even if it doesn’t end sexual violence. And #ItsTime for me to do it. It’s *been* time.
While y’all are here, that raging misogynist Pretty Mike raped me near Club Q when I was 16 years old, and I’m willing to bet every single naira I will ever earn that he doesn’t even remember. But that’s a story for another day. I’m off to watch Beychella
