Winner of Big Brother Naija ‘Level Up’ edition, Josephina IJeoma Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, has firmly dismissed rumours suggesting a romantic involvement with 17-year-old singer Khaid.
The duo came under scrutiny following their social media display of affection through publicized images, as netizens raised concerns over the significant age difference between her and Khaid, which further stirred discussions about societal norms and expectations regarding age differences in a relationship.
Phyna, in a recent episode of her podcast, “Spill with Phyna”, expressed her frustration with the standards present in the society. She also voiced her concerns about gender bias in partner selection as it relates to age disparities.
She further shared her sentiments, exposing the perceived double standards in the public’s response to the issue and relating the criticisms she faced for a seemingly harmless photograph with Khaid.
She also highlighted the existence of marriages where women are wedded to significantly older men without similar levels of scrutiny.
“Me and this boy take picture, Khaid. He is young and the picture, I posted it as well. Omo, if you see the dragging, ‘Oh Phyna, is this boy you’re now dating?’, ‘Oh Phyna is 30 years old, this boy is 10 years old’,” Phyna said.
“It was so terrible that I was now wondering that in this country we have ladies who are married to way older men. So, I want to know the difference between being a younger man and being a younger girl. Why can’t we have the same balance, I thought they said age is just a number?” she further said.
