Controversial Nigerian socialite and businessman, Pretty Mike, has made a bold call for men to break their silence on childhood sexual abuse, urging them to speak up about experiences often buried in shame and societal neglect.
Speaking on the Company of Men podcast, Pretty Mike opened up about his own traumatic experience, revealing that he lost his virginity at the age of 13 to not one, but two housemaids.
“I lost my virginity at 13 to my housemaid. Not even one, but two. Did that change my orientation about sex? Yes,” he shared during the podcast. “Am I coming out to report it to say that something negative happened to me? I think I have decided to let it go, especially at that age. Nowadays, 13 can even be seen as an adult sometimes.”
While acknowledging the complexity of his own experience, Pretty Mike expressed deeper concern for children, particularly boys, who are sexually abused at even younger ages. He emphasised that many victims between the ages of 6 and 10 often do not even realise they are being abused, making it all the more important for parents and guardians to remain vigilant.
“For people that were taken advantage of at 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 — it is totally wrong because they had no idea,” he said. “I always tell parents: pay attention to your kids, not just the females but the males also.”
Pretty Mike further criticised the double standard in Nigerian households, where the focus on protecting female children from abuse often leads to the neglect of male children’s safety and well-being, especially when hiring domestic workers.
“Parents are always concerned about their female children when hiring domestic workers, but what about the male child?” he questioned. “They are all young. There shouldn’t be a double standard. Look out for your kids and make sure nobody takes advantage of both the female and the male.”