Maje Ayida has opened up about his emotional spiral after his public divorce from Toke Makinwa, revealing he battled depression for over a year.
In a heartfelt testimony, he shared how shame, isolation, and accountability played key roles in his painful but healing journey.
Fitness expert and entrepreneur Maje Ayida, the former husband of renowned media personality and actress Toke Makinwa, has opened up about the emotional struggles he endured after their widely publicized divorce. In a recent testimony at a church service in the United Kingdom now widely circulated on social media, Ayida revealed that he slipped into a deep state of depression after the end of their marriage.
According to him, the public nature of the divorce left him feeling embarrassed and exposed. He explained that the harsh judgment he received from the public pushed him into isolation, causing him to shut himself off from friends, family, and the business world.
“I’ll be honest. Going through a public divorce really broke me. I was overwhelmed with shame and felt like I had brought disgrace not only upon myself but also upon my family’s name. I withdrew completely. I didn’t want to face the world anymore,” Ayida said during his emotional recount.
The gym owner disclosed that his depression lasted for over a year. During that period, he stopped working, lost lucrative business opportunities, and battled insomnia and paranoia. He described how even on the rare occasions he stepped out, he felt as though everyone was staring and talking about him.
“I lost all motivation. There were days when I couldn’t even bring myself to get out of bed. Work, which used to give me a sense of identity, slipped away. That’s when it got really serious. I knew I had to choose survival or continue sinking,” he explained.
Ayida credited his recovery to one key decision taking full responsibility for his actions. “Accountability was at the top of every self-help guide I read. At first, accepting blame made me feel worse, but eventually, it became the beginning of my healing,” he added.
Ayida and Makinwa were married in 2014 but separated two years later amid a scandal involving infidelity. The aftermath led to further legal battles, including Ayida’s 2017 defamation lawsuit against Makinwa for her tell-all memoir On Becoming, which chronicled their failed marriage. In 2020, a Lagos State High Court ruled in Ayida’s favor, awarding him damages and ordering the removal of defamatory content from subsequent editions of the book.
Now speaking from a place of reflection, Ayida’s testimony has sparked conversations about men’s mental health, accountability, and emotional recovery after public scandals.
