Maje Ayida, fitness entrepreneur and ex-husband of Nollywood actress Toke Makinwa, has revealed his struggle with depression following their highly publicized divorce.
Speaking during a testimony at a UK church in a video that has now gone viral, Ayida disclosed that public criticism after the divorce led him to withdraw from society due to shame and embarrassment.
A Year of Darkness and Isolation
"I will be honest about the fact that I went through a divorce which resulted in me being depressed. It was a very publicised divorce," Ayida stated in his testimony.
"And that left me feeling very alone. I withdrew from society, I was really ashamed of my situation. Not just for myself, of course, my self-esteem was affected, but legacy is very important to me. I was ashamed of what I felt I had done to my family's name. As a result, I went into hiding."
The fitness expert described how his mental health struggles impacted his professional life, causing him to lose focus, motivation, and business opportunities. "As a man, your work is your identity, and I started to lose work, business deals so it became a real problem for me," he explained.
Ayida revealed that he "checked out of life for a year" while battling insomnia and paranoia. "The few chances that I do get to go out, I have created a scenario in my own mind that everybody is talking about me, people are looking at me. And that would just send me back into my own home," he shared.
Finding a Path to Recovery
After reaching a breaking point, Ayida decided to take action to overcome his depression. "I made a choice. I decided that I didn't want to stay in this space," he said.
Through research, he discovered that accountability was crucial to healing. "I took the blame on myself. It made me feel worse at first until I began to take practical steps," Ayida explained, describing how taking responsibility eventually helped him move forward.
Maje Ayida and Toke Makinwa's marriage, which began in 2014, ended in 2016. Their divorce gained additional public attention when Makinwa published a memoir titled "On Becoming," which documented their failed marriage.
In 2017, Ayida sued Makinwa for N100 million for defamation of character. In November 2020, a Lagos State High Court ruled in his favor, awarding damages of N500,000 to be paid to a charity of Ayida's choice and granting an injunction against further publication of the defamatory content.
Ayida's candid testimony highlights the often-overlooked mental health challenges that can accompany high-profile divorces and public scrutiny.
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