Afrobeat star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has denied paternity of a 12-year-old girl, Mitchelle Anuoluwapo, after she publicly appealed to him for a DNA test to establish her identity.
The singer insisted that he was not her father, stating that he had already undergone five separate DNA tests at different hospitals, all of which returned negative results.
“I have taken five DNA tests, and I am not her father,” he wrote, adding that he has never had a personal relationship with the girl’s mother beyond the DNA testing process.
Anuoluwapo, who described herself as Davido’s “oldest daughter,” said she appealed as she approached her teenage years and seeks clarity about her identity.
In an emotional post, she recounted years of bullying and psychological distress linked to her disputed parentage.
According to her, she has faced ridicule since the age of six for claiming the award-winning musician as her father. This experience affected her mental health and required professional support.
“As I grow older, I want to establish my identity,” she wrote.
“I was bullied in school from a young age and often came home crying. Other students laughed at me when I said my father was Mr David Adeleke.”
She added that her social media page had been inactive for several years on her mother’s instruction, noting that she has remained focused on her education despite the challenges.
In a direct appeal to the singer, Anuoluwapo requested a DNA test to determine her paternity conclusively.
“As I transition into a young woman, I am respectfully asking Mr David Adeleke for a DNA test to establish my identity,” she wrote.
“This is something I want and believe is the right thing to do.”
She also thanked Nigerians who, according to her, have offered emotional support over the years.
Davido, however, responded firmly, insisting that the matter had already been resolved. Commenting on the post and later addressing the issue on X (formerly Twitter), the singer stated that he had undergone five DNA tests at different medical facilities, all of which returned negative results.
The singer expressed frustration with the ongoing public claims, calling them false and insisting this would be the last time he would address the issue.
Davido also suggested that the child’s mother should be held accountable for what he described as persistent and unfounded allegations, while noting that he did not blame the minor involved.
