Tommy Robinson Black Man Video Granddaughters Controversy
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A Family’s Life Ruined by Online Hate: Tommy Robinson and the Weaponization of Social media
Redcar, North Yorkshire – A family’s life has been shattered after a video of a Black man playing with his white granddaughters in a park was shared by far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, and later weaponized online. Olajuwon Ayeni, a musician from Redcar, has faced racial abuse and false accusations of being a pedophile since the family video was stolen from his wife Natalie’s TikTok account and spread by extremist groups.
The online harassment has had devastating consequences. Ayeni was suspended by his management after his local MP, Anna Turley, was forced to write a letter of good character to support him.”I’m devastated to receive the email from my management,” Ayeni said. “Music is my life.My social media will be damaged, my career will be tarnished… but I am persistent to show the truth and hopefully clear it up.”
The couple now live in fear, having been threatened in the street after robinson shared the video with his 1.4 million followers, adding the caption: “Wtf is even going on here? Were are the parents?!” Despite numerous replies debunking the video and calling for its removal, Robinson has not taken it down.
Natalie ayeni expressed the family’s distress: “The distress this is causing is unreal, it’s ruined our lives and there we were, getting on with things, looking after the girls, minding our own business and now we are scared to do anything. It’s made me feel so unwell.” She added, “We just want people to know the truth. We’re a normal family who went to the park with our grandchildren. The lies and racism have turned our lives upside down and continue to do so daily.”
Despite reporting the threats to police,the family says they have received limited support. Cleveland Police stated they are offering support and advice, but that sharing the video does not constitute a crime.
This incident highlights the risky consequences of online misinformation and the rapid spread of hate speech, notably when amplified by influential figures like Tommy Robinson.It underscores the urgent need for social media platforms to take greater responsibility for the content shared on their sites and to protect vulnerable individuals from online harassment and abuse.