The estranged wife of comedian Basketmouth, Elsie Okpocha, has issued a formal warning of legal action against bloggers and social media users spreading claims that paternity fraud led to the breakdown of their marriage.
The controversy began last month after a blog alleged that Basketmouth revealed in an interview that a DNA test showed their first child was not biologically his, which reportedly caused their separation.
Elsie dismissed the allegations as “lies”, stressing that while false stories could be written about her, her children should not be dragged into such narratives.
In a legal letter dated April 10, 2026, and shared on her Instagram page, she reaffirmed that her marriage did not collapse due to paternity fraud.
She explained that although she would have preferred to remain silent, the spread of unverified claims could harm her child by misleading the public and exposing him to bullying and psychological distress.
The letter described the reports as “false and unfounded”, accusing bloggers of trying to “inflict maximum pain” on her family.
Elsie warned that anyone found responsible for spreading the claims would face legal action for defamation and invasion of privacy.
According to the letter, continued publication, sharing, or support of the allegations amounts to criminal defamation, emotional distress, and violation of privacy, which could attract civil or criminal penalties under Nigerian law.
“It is pertinent to state that our client would not have bothered to dignify the said false and unfounded publications making the rounds on the social media space with a response but she is worried that some innocent and unsuspecting members of the public may take such false publications as the true state of things in the marriage between her and her estranged husband, and begin to bully their son on and off social media spaces with the consequential psychological trauma that will be inflicted on him, hence this intervention,” the letter reads in part.
“The deliberate spread of such falsehood is not only morally reprehensible, but it is also actionable under applicable defamation and criminal laws across Nigeria.In the circumstances, please TAKE NOTICE that the continued publication, sharing, or endorsement of the false publications amounts to criminal defamation of character, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and an invasion of the privacy of our client and her family, an action which exposes all the parties involved, whether as originators or distributors of the mendacious publications to serious civil and/or penal actions at the instance of our client.”