Nigerian singer Adekunle Gold has opened up about facing online harassment after publicly disclosing that he lives with sickle cell disease.

The ‘Orente’ artist shared that he experienced "attacks and abuse" on social media following his revelation.

In a recent interview, Adekunle Gold expressed his desire to raise awareness about sickle cell disease now that he has the strength to speak out.

“I want people living with sickle cell to feel safe and know they have support,” he stated. “They label you a sickler… After discussing my struggle with sickle cell in the song ‘5-star’, I faced a lot of negative comments and abuse on social media.

“I’m speaking about sickle cell disease now because I finally have the courage to share my story openly. Many people can’t share their experiences like I can.”

Adekunle Gold has been aware of his diagnosis since childhood, recalling how he often put himself in situations that worsened his condition.

“I’ve known about my sickle cell disease all my life. I knew from a young age that I couldn’t do certain activities. They would say, ‘You know you have sickle cell; you can’t play football in the rain like your friends.’ But I always wanted to join in,” he remembered.

“I’ve had crises all my life, constantly in and out of the hospital. As a child, I frequently did things that made me sick, like being in the rain, which caused joint pains. But I was determined not to let sickle cell define me.”