Erica Opens Up About Three Years of Online Abuse After BBNaija

Ex-Big Brother Naija star Erica Nlewedim has shared that she faced three years of constant insults and online criticism after her time on the reality show.

In a post on Cablelifestyle on Sunday, Erica talked about the emotional toll of her experience during an interview on Toke Moment. She discussed the challenges she faced after leaving the BBNaija house.

Erica mentioned that she did not realize how much the ongoing criticism affected her until anxiety set in.

"I was getting like three years of back-to-back insults. I had to see a therapist because of that show," Erica said.

She explained how social media became hard for her due to the unending notifications and comments.

"At first, I didn’t know that it was getting to me. It was like after three years of back-to-back insults.

"When I open Instagram, I just see notifications. I was always anxious, and I don’t like that," she said.

Erica, who was on the 2020 BBNaija edition, eventually decided to seek professional help.

"I went to therapy in 2024. 2024 was my quiet time. I didn’t act in any movie," she shared.

She explained that she took a break from acting to focus on herself and tackle issues she hadn't noticed before.

"I just decided to take a break in 2024. It was just last year I decided to start coming back. I’m happy I did that because there were a lot of things that I didn’t even realize were affecting me."

Despite the emotional struggles, Erica expressed gratitude for the financial gains from the reality show.

"I’ll never go to a show like Big Brother Naija again in my life. I’m happy I did it because, of course, it changed my life money-wise, but I’m never doing it again if I’m given the opportunity," she said.

The actress was disqualified from the 2020 BBNaija edition for breaking the house rules. In 2021, she had previously shared that she went through "full-blown anxiety" after her reality show experience.

Her latest comments show the difficulties that ex-reality TV contestants can face long after they leave the spotlight, especially with the ongoing public scrutiny and social media backlash.

Erica’s remarks come at a time when fellow former BBNaija housemate Mercy Eke has also spoken about her regrets regarding aspects of her participation while recognizing the benefits the show brought her.