An influencer who staged her own kidnapping has explained why she did it.
Victoria Rose, who goes by Woah Vicky on her social media pages, sparked concern recently after a tweet was shared to her account claiming that she'd been kidnapped.
One of the now-deleted posts read: "I have kidnapped Vicky. She is with me in Nigeria. I am demanding $1million for her release."
People were worried for Victoria after the ominous tweet was shared, and now she's issued her fans an update.
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In an Instagram Live on Sunday (December 29), Vicky was seen alive and well as she explained what had happened to her - and it turns out that the influencer wasn't kidnapped at all and that it had all been a 'joke'.
"We kind of got carried away with the joke, you know, we just like to have fun and joke," Vicky said during the Instagram Live stream, as per LBC.
"I don't drink or go to the club, so this is how I find my entertainment," she went on. "You know, it's probably not the best way to do it. I'd probably be like reading the Bible or something like that."
Vicky continued to say that the Bible states that 'laughter is good for the soul'.
"So I'd be wanting to laugh," she added. "And this is how I find that funny."
While she didn't seem to take the kidnapping ruse very seriously, Vicky's since apologized for her actions.
Her tweet began: "I just wanted to come on here one last time to sincerely apologize to anyone I may have harmed during this prank. Not thinking things through comes with consequences, and I’m paying for it now."
Vicky continued to write: "My brother, father dmw looked out for me throughout my entire trip to Nigeria. I love and respect him deeply, and I would never want anything to happen to him.
"I also apologize for how this situation reflects on me—I never intended to make any Black man or any country, especially Nigeria, look bad. If it came across that way, I’m truly sorry. I love Nigeria, I love my brother, father, and I love my people."
She ended the apology with: "I’ve learned a lot from this, and I’ll be taking time off the internet to reflect, fast, and grow closer to God. Please keep me in your prayers."
Her statement hasn't been well received, however, as many people have criticized her for going to such extreme lengths 'for clout'.
One person said: "Apologies mean nothing when you've disrespected an entire culture for clout. You should've thought about the consequences before you turned Nigeria into your personal playground for likes."
A second wrote: "Imagine all the people who are actually missing who could use the help and sympathy but it’s just a joke right."
Topics: Social Media, Twitter, News, Community, Africa
Niamh Shackleton