Popular musician Seun Kuti has revealed a controversial insight into the personal life of his late father, Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, claiming that Fela’s approach to relationships contributed to health risks within his household.
Speaking during a recent Instagram livestream, Seun alleged that Fela did not restrict his wives from seeing other men, which, according to him, led to some of them contracting HIV and unknowingly passing it on to the music legend.
“Fela made many mistakes. One of them was… I saw a video of a lady questioning why people praise Fela’s legacy despite him getting HIV from women. I said, ‘Oh, Fela, you see yourself?’” Seun said.
He went on to dismiss claims that Fela himself spread the virus, insisting that it was the women who brought it into the household:
“Fela didn’t keep his women to himself. He believed that as he was free to be with multiple women, they were also free to see other men. His only rule was that they shouldn’t bring other men into his house. My father never went outside to be with other women; it was his women who brought HIV home to him. Nobody is perfect. Everybody makes mistakes. But Fela was always on the side of humanity.”
Seun’s revelation has stirred conversations online, reigniting debates about the private life of the late Afrobeat icon and the choices he made in his personal relationships. While some view his approach as progressive for the time, others see it as a cautionary tale about sexual health and responsibility.
