Content creator and social media influencer, Amarachi Amusi, popularly known as Ashmusy, has opened up on her online rift with Big Brother Naija reality star, Phyna, insisting that she never intended to betray her colleague and was instead painted as the villain in the controversy.
In an interview with Saturday Beats, Ashmusy recounted how she became involved in a proposed celebrity boxing event, her uncertainty about participating, and how the situation eventually led to her public fallout with Phyna.
Phyna had alleged that after recommending Ashmusy as her opponent for the event, the content creator stopped communicating with her and asked the organisers to drop her from the fight.
Ashmusy, however, denied deliberately working against Phyna, explaining that she had been uncertain about participating in the boxing event from the outset.
She said she was on holiday in Japan when she was first contacted about the boxing show but did not pay much attention to it because she was busy.
According to her, Phyna later reached out to her about the event and tried to convince her to participate.
She said, “I told her I wasn’t sure, but several times in the chat, I told her, ‘I am in. Let’s do it,’ just to go with the flow because I was very busy at the time. She was convincing me. I hadn’t looked too deeply into it, but in my head, I knew I wasn’t sure. Hence, the contract they sent to me was delayed. I never sent back a signed contract till date.”
Ashmusy said she later spoke with a representative of the organisers about choosing another opponent because she was uncomfortable with the proposed fight.
“We went on a group call with the company and one of the representatives of the organisers. She was following up with me, and I then asked to speak with her. After so much back and forth, I got back to her and said, ‘I am not sure I want to do this fight o, but is it allowed to choose somebody I match with to fight? To choose somebody else that I think my physical fragility matches with?’
She said she was not informed that choosing another opponent could affect Phyna’s participation in the event.
“This person didn’t inform me that if I picked someone else to fight, it meant Phyna would have to step down or Phyna’s own fight would be delayed. I had no idea. I wasn’t informed. In my head, it was like a full day where you could have plenty of boxing matches,” she said.
Ashmusy added that she was under pressure to find an opponent while also dealing with a busy trip, which made her communication with the organisers rushed.
“I was in communication with the lady because she was pressuring me, asking, ‘What’s up with my match?’ She would say, ‘You are the one delaying us o. Let’s make payment this week,’ etc. It was just like that. It was a bit disorganised because I was busy.”
She said the situation escalated after Phyna went live on social media, leading to intense criticism from members of the public.
“Three different live videos were posted on her page. I started being bashed online and being called all sorts of names. And I had worked really hard, personally and brand-wise, to get to the point where I am with my brand this year, without any scandal or bashing.
“Experiencing that really broke me and hurt me in ways I cannot explain because I had worked too hard to avoid it. I am no longer in that space anymore. It really hurt.”
Ashmusy also claimed that some of the chats circulating during the controversy were doctored, although she acknowledged that she had not seen all the messages.
“I didn’t see those chats, but I believe those chats were doctored because the one Phyna showed me had misrepresentation in it. That was the only one I saw on her DM. I didn’t check her story for the sake of my mental health.”
According to Ashmusy, she later reflected on the situation and decided to take the representative, Teddy, out of the picture so she could better understand what had happened.
“After some days, I reflected. I took Teddy out of the picture because, before then, she was the one blocking my view. I was hurt and pained that she threw me under the bus. I thought she had communicated with Phyna.
“After I took her out of the picture, I could clearly see the full picture.”
She said the decision helped her understand Phyna’s perspective and take responsibility for her own part in the situation.
“I realised, looking at it from the perspective I just explained, that Phyna must be really hurt. But, that was not my intention.”
Ashmusy said she subsequently tried to resolve the matter privately after receiving what she described as death threats.
“I reached out to the company because I was getting death threats. I also reached out to Phyna to see how we could fix things online, but everybody kept declining. I was painted as the villain, and nobody wanted to come forward or put out a press release.”
Despite the controversy, Ashmusy said she did not intend to betray Phyna and disclosed that they had made some progress towards resolving their differences.
“I spoke with Phyna and we sort of reconciled, but on the internet, I am being painted as the evil one.”
Reflecting on the controversy, Ashmusy said the experience had taught her to be more careful in her dealings.
“Whatever the case may be, I have learnt my lesson. I will watch my steps more, and every damage will be fixed, with God on our side.”