Content creator and social media influencer Amarachi Amusi, popularly known as Ashmusy, has addressed her online disagreement with Big Brother Naija reality star Phyna, maintaining that she never intended to betray her colleague but was portrayed as the villain in the controversy.
Speaking in an interview with Saturday Beats, Ashmusy explained how she became involved in a proposed celebrity boxing event, her hesitation about taking part and how the situation eventually resulted in her public fallout with Phyna.
Phyna had accused Ashmusy of cutting off communication after she recommended her as an opponent for the event and allegedly asking the organisers to remove her from the proposed fight.
However, Ashmusy denied intentionally working against Phyna, saying she had been unsure about participating in the boxing event from the beginning.
She explained that she was on vacation in Japan when she was initially contacted about the event but did not give it much attention because she was occupied.
According to her, Phyna later contacted her and attempted to persuade her to participate in the event.
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 subsequently spoke with a representative of the organisers about the possibility of selecting another opponent because she was uncomfortable with the proposed matchup.
“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 maintained that she was unaware that choosing a different opponent could have implications for 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 further explained that she was under pressure to select an opponent while managing a busy trip, which contributed to hurried communication with the organisers.
“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 controversy intensified after Phyna held live sessions on social media, which resulted in widespread criticism and online attacks against her.
“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 alleged that some of the chats circulated during the dispute had been manipulated, although she admitted she had not reviewed 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.”
She said that after taking time to reflect, she decided to remove the event representative, Teddy, from the situation in order to gain a clearer understanding of what had transpired.
“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.”
According to Ashmusy, this helped her better understand Phyna’s perspective and acknowledge her own role in the misunderstanding.
“I realised, looking at it from the perspective I just explained, that Phyna must be really hurt. But, that was not my intention.”
She said she later made efforts to settle 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 public fallout, Ashmusy insisted she never intended to betray Phyna and said both women 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 experience, the content creator said the incident had taught her to be more cautious in her future 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.”
