Tacha Denounces Online Harassment, Describing It As “Worse Than Racism

According to Ireporter Online, reality TV star and beauty influencer Natasha Akide, popularly known as Tacha, has criticized what she described as rising discriminatory behaviour among Nigerians, stating that it can sometimes be more intense than racism.

Her comments came on Tuesday following online criticism directed at chess advocate Tunde Onakoya after he shared a video of himself playing chess at the Louvre Museum plaza in Paris.

Tacha argued that while she has personally experienced racism, the level of hostility Nigerians often direct at one another on social media is more severe. She added that many individuals who condemn racism abroad frequently exhibit similar or worse behaviour within their own online communities.

“When I see Nigerians talk about racism, I just laugh. Because we’re some of the most discriminatory and segregating people to ever exist. I’ve experienced racism, yes, but what Nigerians do to fellow Nigerians every day on this app is worse. And to be honest, if we were in their position, we would probably do worse,” she stated.

The controversy began after Onakoya posted a video around April 19–20, 2026, showing him dressed in traditional agbada while playing chess at the open plaza outside the Louvre. He described the moment as a cultural milestone and referred to himself as the first Nigerian to play chess at the location.

The post sparked mixed reactions on X, with some users praising it as a celebration of cultural representation on a global stage, while others questioned the claim, noting that the area is a public space accessible to everyone and that no official record supports the “first” designation.

Tacha, however, commended Onakoya’s response to the criticism, noting that he had previously faced severe online attacks that pushed him to temporarily leave the platform. She praised his decision to now stand his ground.

“To be honest, I love the way Tunde has handled this whole situation because clearly, this is not the first time they are coming at him. They pushed him to the point where he left this app, but it is good that he is standing for himself,” she said.

She further criticized persistent online trolling, stating that many social media users project frustration from unfulfilled real-life experiences onto others who are succeeding.

“There’s something most of y’all need to understand, most of these trolls and bullies are just miserable people in real life. They’ve done nothing meaningful other than engagement farming and trolling. So when they see people succeeding, they become bitter,” she added.