July 21, 2026 by Yewande Fasan
Jade Osiberu questions rise of trauma storytelling on podcasts
Filmmaker Jade Osiberu has questioned the growing culture of sharing intimate trauma on podcasts, asking whether public confession is replacing therapy and community support.
In a post shared on X on Tuesday, Osiberu said she had spent the last hour listening to a podcast in which a female guest detailed painful aspects of her marriage and divorce while in tears.
“I often have different types of podcasts playing in the background when I’m working, and for the last hour, this podcast has come on where a woman is discussing some of the most painful details of her marriage and divorce. She’s crying and being held by the host,” Osiberu wrote.
While expressing sympathy for the guest, the director said she was concerned about a broader cultural shift.
“I have a lot of sympathy for her, but I can’t shake the feeling that as a culture we’re slowly replacing solid community, or even seeking therapy, with the catharsis of publicly naming and shaming the people who have hurt us and seeking public sympathy,” she stated.
Osiberu acknowledged the value of people sharing personal experiences so others do not feel isolated, but she questioned the long-term impact on those who go public with their pain.
“I’m really curious about whether the people who go on these podcasts actually find any healing from it.
“I also understand the usefulness of people sharing their experiences so others don’t feel alone, but I often wonder if there’s a thin line between ‘speaking your truth’ and wanting to hurt the person who hurt you,” she added.
Osiberu is the writer and producer behind films and series including Sugar Rush, Brotherhood, and Gangs of Lagos.
She is regarded as one of Nollywood’s leading voices on storytelling and social themes.
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