I was tired – Akwaboah on trending picture of his unhappy face with wife
Ghanaian music star Akwaboah has opened up about the much-talked-about photo that sparked online rumours about his health and marriage, saying it was all due to exhaustion.
In an interview with Nana Romeo on Okay FM, the Ensesa hitmaker explained that the picture, which many claimed showed him looking unhappy and drained beside his wife, was simply a moment of tiredness after a busy schedule.
He recalled how he had travelled to Kwahu in the Eastern Region for a performance. “I left Accra around 8:30 AM and got to Kwahu around 12:30 PM,” he explained. He performed at an event at 3:00 PM and returned to Accra the same evening, arriving around 7:00 PM. He then had another show that night and barely had an hour of rest before heading to church the next morning.
Despite feeling worn out, he said his wife asked him to take a picture with her, and he agreed, saying he knew “women love these things.” He later shared the photo online to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
However, he revealed that the picture became the subject of wild speculation. “All I saw was someone had zoomed into my tired face and people were speaking foolishness about it like, ‘Why, is he not happy? The madam is sucking his blood,’ and blah, blah, blah.”
Akwaboah expressed frustration over how quickly people jumped to conclusions and criticised him without understanding the context. But instead of being bitter, he focused on the bigger picture—how lucky he was to have been working and earning, while his critics had time to zoom into his photos.
He added that he had already prepared his wife for this kind of scrutiny even before they got married. “Now she knows how it works,” he said, revealing that they both laughed over the situation and even went out to eat.
Reflecting on why people seem to be attacking him more often since he got married, Akwaboah said, “People throw rocks at things that shine.” He questioned whether this kind of negative mindset—what he called “crab mentality”—was something unique to Ghana.
He also touched on how he deals with cyberbullying. What annoys him most, he said, is when people with very little going on in their lives take the liberty to insult him online. “You go and check their profile, their followers, and even the phone they used to take the picture, but at the end of the day, they still insult you.”
Despite the hurtful nature of such comments, Akwaboah said he chooses to stay mentally strong. “Notice that the stars need darkness to shine,” he pointed out. “When I rise in the morning, I don’t ask my critics for food. I’m self-reliant and I discharge my responsibilities towards my entire family. So, you have the right to say whatever you want. As long as it doesn’t take food off my table, you don’t matter.”
Though he admitted that the criticism over that specific photo bothered him, he said it served as a reminder that people often resent those who seem to be thriving. “It was proof of what the proverb says, ‘The one wearing the ornate hat is resented.’”