Nigerian media personality Ifedayo Olarinde, popularly known as Daddy Freeze, has once again addressed his relationship with convicted internet fraudster Hushpuppi.
The controversial media figure has been under fire since 2020, when Hushpuppi was arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by the FBI for his involvement in a $1.1 million transnational cyber fraud scheme.
Before Hushpuppi’s arrest, Daddy Freeze had visited him in Dubai and shared videos of their luxurious time together at the Palazzo Versace, showering praises on his host.
However, after the socialite’s conviction, many Nigerians harshly criticized Daddy Freeze for his association with a known fraudster, questioning his judgment and integrity.
Despite repeatedly defending himself in the past, Daddy Freeze has once again spoken out, firmly stating that he never received any money from Hushpuppi. “Hushpuppi has never given me money before… never given me anything, not $1 ever!” he declared.
However, he admitted that Hushpuppi had shown him kindness during a time when he felt abandoned. “But Hushpuppi gave me friendship when there was nobody who wanted to be my friend because they believed I was the devil.”
He emphasized that, at the time, he had no knowledge of Hushpuppi’s fraudulent activities and only saw him as a social media influencer with an extravagant lifestyle.
Daddy Freeze went on to explain how he first met Hushpuppi and the circumstances that led to their association. According to him, he was invited to Dubai along with some influencers, but many of them kept their distance from him due to his controversial views on religion and the #FreeTheSheeple movement he had started.
“First time I met Hushpuppi… I was picked to go to Dubai with some influencers and I’d already started the movement then (#FreeTheSheeple) and the influencers didn’t particularly like me,” he recounted.
He also revealed that at that time, even his former church had rejected him. “That was the time that my church that I’d attended for 10 years rejected me; everybody rejected me. And then, out of the blues, Hushpuppi sends me a DM: ‘Where are you? Come over.’”
Describing his initial meetings with Hushpuppi, Daddy Freeze explained that they bonded over casual conversations and social gatherings.
“So we hung out with some of our friends, we gisted, we took pictures, put on his Snapchat. So why would I not be friends with someone who was my friend? How am I going to be angry with him?” he questioned.
He admitted that while he might have had suspicions about the legitimacy of Hushpuppi’s wealth, he didn’t probe further. “I might have guessed that the money was not legit. But Davido sang something, ‘dey for who dey for you,’” he added, implying that loyalty mattered to him at the time.
While defending his past actions, Daddy Freeze reiterated that he never knowingly associated with a criminal. “I didn’t know him to be a (alleged) criminal. If I did, I wouldn’t hang out with him,” he insisted.
He further clarified that he does not support fraud in any way and would never have recorded videos with Hushpuppi if he had been aware of an ongoing case against him.
“And unless someone is proven guilty, I do not discriminate against them because the one who taught me Christianity, the one who I follow, Christ did not discriminate against anyone,” he concluded.
His latest remarks have reignited debates about personal responsibility, association, and the impact of social influence in shaping public perception.
