Award-winning comedian Real Warri Pikin has appealed to Nigerians to be less critical of her following a viral moment with singer Timaya at the 2026 AFRIMMA Awards in Dallas, United States.
The comedian, who won the Best Stand-Up Comedian award at the event, addressed the controversy in a video after clips surfaced online showing Timaya lifting her during his stage performance.
Explaining how the incident happened, Real Warri Pikin said Timaya had invited a woman from the audience to join him on stage.
According to her, she was initially reluctant because she did not want to jump around during the performance but eventually agreed after the singer assured her she would be fine.
She, however, admitted that the situation became awkward when Timaya unexpectedly lifted her in front of the audience.
The comedian noted that while those present at the event found the moment entertaining, reactions on social media took a different turn, with some people suggesting she had crossed certain boundaries.
“Make una take am easy, I beg. I’m sorry. I take full responsibility of my actions,” she said.
Real Warri Pikin added that some of the criticism was based on assumptions about her personality and values, stressing that the incident should not be used to judge her character.
“I understand where una dey come from. Maybe some people are just genuinely concerned,” she said while pleading with Nigerians not to be too harsh in their judgment.
She further clarified that she had no intention of disrespecting her husband or engaging in any inappropriate behaviour, describing the episode as an awkward moment that occurred during a stage performance.