Nigerian media personality Daddy Freeze has once again addressed his past association with convicted internet fraudster Hushpuppi, maintaining that their relationship was purely based on friendship and that he never received any money from him.
Hushpuppi, whose real name is Ramon Abbas, was arrested by the FBI in the United Arab Emirates in 2020 for his involvement in over $1.1 million in cyber fraud.
Before his arrest, Daddy Freeze had visited Hushpuppi’s luxurious home in Dubai in 2019, where they shared videos together, leading to heavy criticism from Nigerians after the fraudster’s conviction.
However, in a fresh defense, Daddy Freeze insisted that despite their friendship, he never benefited financially from Hushpuppi.
“Hushpuppi has never given me money before… never given me anything, not $1 ever!” he stated.
He further explained that Hushpuppi stood by him at a time when he felt isolated.
“But Hushpuppi gave me friendship when there was nobody who wanted to be my friend because they believed I was the devil,” he added.
Furthermore, Daddy Freeze recounted how he first met Hushpuppi, revealing that he was invited to Dubai as part of an influencer trip.
At that time, he was facing rejection from his church and fellow influencers.
“First time I met Hushpuppi… I was picked to go to Dubai with some influencers, and I’d already started the movement then (#FreeTheSheepple). The influencers didn’t particularly like me,” he said.
According to him, Hushpuppi reached out unexpectedly, inviting him over.
“And then out of the blue, Hushpuppi sends me a DM ‘where are you, come over.’ 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 asked.
Meanwhile, Daddy Freeze acknowledged that he may have suspected that Hushpuppi’s wealth was not from a legitimate source but remained loyal to their friendship.
“I might have guessed that the money was not legit. But Davido sang something: ‘dey for who dey for you,’” he admitted.
Previously, in 2020, he defended himself by stating that he had no knowledge of Hushpuppi’s fraudulent activities at the time.
He reiterated that if he had known, he would not have associated with him.
“I didn’t know him to be a (alleged) criminal, if I did I wouldn’t hang out with 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 explained.
Daddy Freeze also emphasized that he does not condone fraud in any way, noting that he would not have shot videos with Hushpuppi if he had known about any legal charges.
His latest remarks have reignited online discussions, with some supporting his stance while others continue to question his past association.
