Nigerian singer Adekunle Gold has opened up about the online abuse he faced after publicly disclosing his struggle with sickle cell disease. In a recent interview with CNN, the ‘Orente’ singer shared how he was attacked on social media following his revelation, but emphasized his commitment to raising awareness and providing support for others with the condition.
Adekunle Gold, whose hit song ‘5-star’ addresses his journey with sickle cell, explained, “They call you a sickler… Recently, when I talked about it [my struggle with sickle cell] on the song, I saw a lot of tweets from people attacking and abusing me.”
Despite the backlash, Adekunle said his primary goal is to create a sense of safety and support for those living with sickle cell. “I want people living with sickle cell to feel safe, to feel like they have help and support,” he stated.
The singer revealed that he has been aware of his diagnosis since childhood and often found himself in situations that exacerbated his condition. Recalling his rebellious spirit as a child, he said, “I knew since I was a child that I couldn’t do certain things. They said, ‘You know you have sickle cell, you can’t play football in the rain just like your peers.’ And I was like, ‘No, I want to play.’”
He also described how the disease affected his early life, leading to frequent hospital visits. “Growing up, I had crises every time. I was in the hospital back-to-back. For example, I’m not supposed to be in the rain, so what happened to me was that I would have pains in my joints from being in the rain.”
Adekunle stressed that he refuses to let sickle cell define him, despite the challenges. “I always knew that I didn’t want this thing [sickle cell] to define me,” he concluded, reaffirming his resolve to live beyond his diagnosis and support others in similar situations.
