I became depressed after Toke and I divorced – Maje Ayida speaks for the first time

Fitness expert and entrepreneur, Maje Ayida has opened up about the emotional toll his high-profile divorce from media personality, Toke Makinwa had on his mental health, revealing that the ordeal pushed him into a year-long depression

Speaking recently at a UK church, in a video that has since gone viral, Ayida admitted that the public scrutiny following the breakdown of his marriage led him to isolate himself from friends, work, and society at large.

“I went through a very public divorce, and it deeply affected me. I was ashamed, not just for myself but for my family’s name. I felt like I had failed everyone, so I retreated from the world,” he said.

According to Ayida, the shame made him stop going to work, lose motivation, and eventually miss out on significant business deals. The resulting financial and emotional strain, he noted, made him feel hopeless.

“As a man, your work is part of your identity. Losing that felt like losing myself. I couldn’t even sleep. I had insomnia and became paranoid. I thought everyone was talking about me anytime I stepped outside,” he added.

Ayida shared that his healing began when he decided to confront the situation and hold himself accountable for his actions. This, he said, was the turning point.

“I did research on how to overcome depression, and the first step I found was accountability. It made me feel worse initially, but eventually, I started to rebuild from there.”

Ayida and Makinwa were married in 2014, but their relationship collapsed in 2016. In the aftermath, Makinwa published a memoir, On Becoming, which included revelations about their failed marriage.

Ayida later sued her for defamation, and in 2020, a Lagos High Court ruled in his favour, awarding damages and issuing an injunction against further publication of the contentious material.

Despite the legal victory, Ayida’s latest revelation offers a glimpse into the emotional scars left by the public fallout and how he slowly began to reclaim his life through introspection and personal growth.

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