Celebrity Today, Pauper Tomorrow: Sudden Rise And Fall Of Social Media Celebrities Part 1 (pics)

In today’s world of viral fame, social media has become both a powerful stage and a fleeting spotlight, birthing countless celebrities who shoot to stardom overnight. Yet, for many, the spotlight dims just as quickly, leaving them grappling with obscurity and the harsh realities of life outside the public eye, GODFREY GEORGE writes

“It’s lonely at the top. Lonely, lonely, lonely…” These opening lines from Nigerian artist Asake’s hit Afrobeat track capture a universal truth for many who rise to fame, only to face the inevitable and often painful isolation that follows.

The rush of success can be exhilarating, but just as quickly as the spotlight shines on them, it fades, often leaving a void filled with loneliness.

This reality is all too familiar for many public figures, especially those who have tasted viral fame.

In today’s social media-driven world, fame can be achieved almost instantaneously, but the climb to the top has become increasingly rapid.

Yet for many Nigerian social media celebrities, the descent can be just as swift, if not more so.

Once celebrated, they can quickly find themselves abandoned, forgotten, or worse—vilified by the very audience that once adored them.

For the millions of young Nigerians attempting to stake their claim in the ever-expanding digital landscape, the fleeting nature of social media fame is a harsh truth to accept.

As the digital space evolves, the rise and fall of influencers becomes ever more pronounced, making it clear that fame, though seductive, is often short-lived.

For those who rise to prominence, the pressure to maintain that visibility and relevance becomes overwhelming.

The line between stardom and obscurity is razor-thin, and many who find themselves at the top of the digital ladder soon discover that the view from the top is not as glamorous as it seems.

Wisdom Alfred, the aquafina boy

It wasn’t long ago that Wisdom Alfred, the 22-year-old whose antics had social media buzzing, was on top of the world. Known to millions as Dr H20, his vibrant promotion of Aquafina Water in a viral video shot at a bus garage in Onitsha, Anambra State, turned him into an overnight sensation.

With his contagious enthusiasm and unfiltered charisma, Alfred captured the attention of a generation, and most notably, the attention of Aquafina itself. The company saw an opportunity, and in a move that many would consider a golden endorsement, they decided to back Alfred’s water business with a generous investment.

The investment was nothing short of transformative. Aquafina didn’t just offer cash; they equipped him with everything he needed to succeed—machines, a generator, a freezer, and even three years’ worth of shop rent.

In a matter of days, Alfred went from being an unknown face in the crowd to the owner of a thriving business, positioned to make waves in the local market.

“It felt like a life-changing moment,” Alfred recalls, his voice tinged with the remnants of a past joy. “I was so hopeful, so grateful. I thought this was the start of something big.”

But like many stories of sudden fame, this one proved fragile. What followed was a shocking collapse, one that no amount of entrepreneurial spirit could have predicted.

The business that was meant to set him up for life, the brand partnership that was supposed to propel him to the next level, began to unravel before his eyes.

He found himself unable to account for the money—neither the capital nor the profits.

“It was like the funds just disappeared,” Alfred says, his face clouded with confusion. “I kept asking myself, what’s going on? Where did it all go?”

As the weeks turned into months, the mystery deepened.

Alfred’s initial optimism began to slide into frustration.

Despite having kept records of every sale and knowing that he had bought truckloads of Aquafina, he couldn’t understand why his business was failing.

And then, in the midst of the chaos, a thought entered his mind that he hadn’t expected: What if this wasn’t just bad business? What if there were unseen forces at play?

“I couldn’t explain it,” Alfred says, his tone shifting from perplexity to something more haunting.

“It wasn’t just a financial loss. It felt like there was something else, something spiritual, behind all of this.”

Social media celebrities like Alfred—who rise quickly, often through viral moments, and fall just as fast—are left to pick up the pieces when their business ventures or brand partnerships fail.

Vera Anyim: From celebrity to solitude

In the ever-changing world of social media, fame can be as fleeting as it is intoxicating.

For Vera Anyim, a congregant at Dunamis International Gospel Centre in Abuja, her rise to prominence was as sudden as it was unexpected. But as quickly as she became a public figure, the isolation that followed has been equally striking, offering a sobering reality of what happens when the spotlight fades.

Vera’s initial claim to fame came from a testimony at Dunamis Church, where she shared her journey to becoming the first university graduate in her family. The heartfelt story resonated with many, and soon after, she was thrust into the limelight.

However, this newfound attention quickly turned sour when Pastor Paul Enenche publicly questioned her academic credentials, raising doubts about the authenticity of her degree. The incident shocked many, and despite a public apology from the church, Vera’s reputation was forever altered.

What followed was a tragic series of events that highlighted the fragile nature of social media fame.

In a desperate attempt to maintain some semblance of stability, Vera sought financial help from her followers.

“I’m not financially buoyant enough to rent an apartment, and where I live is risky due to insecurity and its open nature,” she confessed, urging Nigerians for assistance.

The once-celebrated figure now found herself hiding, struggling to find safety and privacy in a world that had once adored her.

“I am a normal person like we all are,” Vera posted on April 28, 2024, trying to remind her followers that fame hadn’t changed her fundamental human nature.

“The last time I checked, I eat what you eat too and drink tap water also. The difference is that I am known now.” Yet, despite her attempts to maintain a grounded persona, the cost of fame was becoming too heavy to bear.

By June 5, 2024, Vera’s online presence, once filled with engagement and support, began to show stark signs of decline. A post she made, in which she offered free page promotion to businesses, received a meagre two likes, a far cry from the thousands of reactions she once garnered.

The shift in her online popularity mirrored her real-world struggles—a stark contrast to the attention and adoration she once enjoyed.

The sharp decline was evident, and Vera’s once-bustling social media presence now felt eerily quiet and abandoned.

A close ally of Vera told our correspondent that her fall began when several scammers began to open hundreds of pages in her name, making it difficult for people to tell who was who.

Additionally, the ally noted that the NPF, where Vera worked in Abuja, had to call her to order, as her conduct on social media was bringing disrepute to the Force.

From the heights of public adoration to the depths of solitude, Vera’s story also serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of fame.

Happy Boys: From grace to grass

The story of Matthew Precious Kelechi and Amakor Johnson, famously known as the Happy Boys, is a poignant tale of the double-edged sword of viral fame.

In early 2022, these young security guards became overnight sensations after a video of them dancing while on duty at a Chicken Republic outlet in Nigeria captured the hearts of millions on TikTok and other social media platforms. However, their journey from joy to hardship underscores the challenges of navigating sudden fame without robust support systems.

The Happy Boys’ lively dancing while manning their security posts symbolised a break from the mundane for many Nigerians. However, while the public celebrated their exuberance, their employer—a security firm contracted by Chicken Republic—terminated their jobs for “unprofessional conduct” on duty.

The eatery itself clarified it had no involvement in their dismissal but faced backlash as Nigerians expressed outrage at what they perceived as injustice.

This public sympathy soon attracted the attention of prominent figures, including the General Overseer of Omega Power Ministries, Pastor Chibuzor Chinyere.

Known for his charitable works, the cleric offered the boys a life-changing opportunity: a scholarship to study abroad in Cyprus.

The gesture was hailed as a shining example of philanthropy, with the pastor emphasising the need for the boys to have a better future through education rather than menial labour.

Trouble in paradise

The Happy Boys arrived in Cyprus in late 2022 and enrolled in an institution, with OPM funding their tuition and living expenses.

However, by mid-2023, the dream took a negative twist.

The sharp depreciation of the Nigerian naira against the US dollar placed immense pressure on OPM’s finances, forcing the church to cancel its foreign scholarship programmes.

Students were advised to either return to Nigeria or transfer to universities in more affordable countries, like the Benin Republic.

Instead of quietly complying, the Happy Boys went public with their grievances. Through videos and posts on social media, they accused Pastor Chinyere of abandoning them and prioritising other students.

They also claimed they were homeless, out of school, and left to fend for themselves on the streets of Cyprus. Their allegations gained traction online, splitting public opinion.

While some criticised the pastor for not sustaining his promises, others accused the boys of being ungrateful and unprofessional in handling the matter.

A public feud, legal trouble

The feud took an ugly turn when leaked voice notes, allegedly from Pastor Chinyere, surfaced online, in which he expressed frustration with the boys’ behaviour and even purportedly cursed them.

The pastor later clarified that his comments were born out of anger at their ungratefulness but announced his decision to forgive them.

He extended an olive branch by reinstating their scholarship, albeit within Nigerian or Beninese institutions.

While these tensions unfolded, the Happy Boys faced another blow.

Reports emerged in October 2023 that they had been detained by Cypriot authorities due to unpaid school fees and were at risk of deportation.

By November, there were unconfirmed sightings of the duo back in Nigeria, allegedly staying at a hotel in Abuja, jobless and unsure of their next steps.

One of the Happy Boys, who spoke to our correspondent but requested anonymity, explaining that he was not a spokesperson for the group, said they were struggling with the challenges of being back in Nigeria.

“As I speak to you, we have nothing. Recently, we approached one of the brands that had signed us to see if we could dance for them, but they refused to respond positively. It feels like we’ve lost our shine. We’ve fallen so far. Now, we’re asking Nigerians for help. This time, we know how to use the money wisely. We’ve learned from our past mistakes.”

Where is Chef Dami?

Chef Dami, whose full name is Damilola Adeparusi, gained widespread attention in mid-2023 when she undertook a 120-hour cooking marathon in Ekiti State.

This followed Hilda Baci’s certified Guinness World Record achievement for the longest cooking marathon at 93 hours and 11 minutes.

Despite the apparent similarities, Chef Dami clarified that her attempt was not aimed at competing with Hilda or achieving GWR recognition but a personal endeavour fuelled by her passion for cooking.

Dami’s cook-a-thon sparked mixed reactions. While some praised her courage and ambition, others criticised her for allegedly seeking to overshadow Hilda’s record-breaking feat. The controversy escalated as public discourse debated her motives, with some accusing her of attempting to “steal the shine.”

She responded by emphasising that her effort was purely for personal satisfaction and to inspire those who supported her, claiming GWR recognition was never her goal.

Since her brief viral fame, Chef Dami has kept a low profile. In July 2023, she secured an endorsement deal of N1m, as seen on her official page on Facebook, which had around 377 followers. In October 2023, she made a cryptic post, responding to her ‘haters’. She wrote,

“By the time we are done with you, you will not be able to stand on your feet again. This was from the acclaimed ‘people of God.’ Among the countless insults, curses, threats, and bullying, I now understand the content of 1 Peter 4:17: surely judgment will begin from the house of God.

“The first time the man of God tried to challenge my God, he failed. Then he told me to prepare for war. But these are the people of God. Are they not supposed to be godly?

“Assuming I had died a few days ago, people would have understood better what I’ve been going through, through the testimony of those around me. But I’ll still try and bind my peace because it is a testimony that others can learn from.

“I know about gods—that is why I chose the undefeatable God. Surely they shall gather, but they that are with me are more than they that are with them.

“I’ve been in constant fear for my life. Countless times they’ve tried to destroy me as promised, but with God, I keep moving as if nothing ever happened.

“Shouldn’t we have gotten over this? I mean, it’s been four months already. Guess you will not stop until I stop breathing?

“I’ll try to update this piece while I try to hold onto my peace.

#GodOverEverything#CertifiedChefDammy”

Since then, there has been no recent significant public activity or projects attributed to her.

Speculations abound about whether her career in the culinary world has gained any traction post-marathon, but no concrete updates indicate any prominent new ventures.

Her story reflects the challenges of navigating public perception in the age of social media.

Source: Punch newspaper