Nigerian Afrobeat singer Seun Kuti has stirred fresh conversations online after making controversial claims about the personal life of his late father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
Speaking during a recent Instagram livestream, Seun addressed long-standing narratives surrounding Fela’s health and relationships, pushing back against claims that the legendary musician infected his partners with HIV. Instead, he suggested a different perspective, one he described as rooted in the lifestyle his father embraced.
According to Seun, Fela’s approach to relationships—particularly within his household—was one of openness, where his wives were not restricted from seeing other partners. He argued that this decision ultimately had unintended consequences.
He said …
“Fela made many mistakes. One of the mistakes he made -one day, I saw a video of a lady online saying why are people praising Fela’s legacy despite him giving women HIV and dying of AIDS.
“I said, ‘Oh, Fela you see yourself?’ If Fela was a traditional man, he would still be alive. I will tell you something about him that you might not have known, Fela’s women all had other men.
“Fela did not keep his women to himself. He believed that as he is free to sleep with all the women, the women are also free to meet other men. His law was that they shouldn’t bring the men to his house.
“My father doesn’t leave his house to sleep with other women outside, so it was his women who brought HIV home to him. Nobody is perfect. Everybody make mistakes. But Fela is a man that is on the side of humanity.”
Seun went on to describe this as one of the late icon’s major missteps, suggesting that some of the women allegedly contracted the virus elsewhere and unknowingly passed it on to him.
His comments have since sparked mixed reactions, with many revisiting Fela’s legacy—both as a cultural revolutionary and as a man whose unconventional lifestyle continues to generate debate years after his passing.
Singer Seun Kuti reveals shocking details about his father Fela Kuti and his wives 😧 pic.twitter.com/qAjFdQOzlv
— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) April 6, 2026