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Following accusations of assault, well-known Nigerian soccer player Victor Osimhen is suing Turkish journalist Tolga Bozduman. Osimhen was said to be leaving a nightclub in Istanbul with buddies the night of January 22, 2025.
Bozduman says he was photographing Osimhen with three coworkers when the soccer player turned forcefully. Osimhen tried to take his camera, Bozduman says, then struck him in response to provocation. The reporter also claims that Osimhen threatened when the offer was rejected and that he gave money in trade for erasing the video.
Osimhen has vigorously denied any wrong in reaction to these criticisms and has taken decisive legal action to remedy what he defines as defamatory claims. Citing defamation and the spread of incorrect information meant to hurt Osimhen’s reputation, his legal team has sued Bozduman.
Osimhen’s attorneys released a statement saying the charges are without grounds and have had a great impact on his career and personal life. They underline that Osimhen has always behaved with honesty and respect, whether on the field or off it.
This is not the first time Osimhen has faced challenges with media representation. He warned his former club, Naples, for legal recourse in September 2023, following a video ridiculing him put up on their official TikTok channel. Later erased, the video included a changed voice-over of Osimhen’s missed penalty, which lead his agent to say it caused ‘very serious damage to the player.’
Osimhen also publicly corrected in August 2020 a Nigerian magazine after a misappropriation of an interview. Originally he had refused to be interviewed and voiced his dissatisfaction across social media, but he subsequently apologized for his language.
These events bring into sharp focus the complicated interaction between the media and celebrities, therefore emphasizing the difficulties athletes experience trying to control their public image under great media observation.
