Fitness entrepreneur and media personality, Maje Ayida, has opened up about the emotional toll of his divorce from Nollywood star, Toke Makinwa, revealing that the experience plunged him into a year-long battle with depression.
Speaking during a recent appearance at a UK church, Ayida recounted the deep personal struggles he faced after their highly-publicised split. In a video that has since gone viral, he described how shame and public scrutiny drove him into isolation.
“I went through a divorce that became very public, and it led me into a state of depression,” he said.
“I felt incredibly alone. I withdrew from society because I was so ashamed — not just of what happened, but of how I thought I had tarnished my family’s name.”
Ayida explained that the situation impacted both his mental health and career.
He noted that he lost motivation and struggled with daily life.
“I stopped going to work. I found it difficult to get out of bed in the morning. I had no drive or sense of purpose. It got to the point where I started losing work opportunities,” he said.
“As a man, your identity is often tied to your career. So losing that part of me was devastating.”
He revealed that during this period, he battled insomnia and paranoia, often imagining that people were gossiping about him whenever he stepped outside.
“I didn’t sleep. I was paranoid. When I did manage to leave the house, I convinced myself people were talking about me or judging me. It became unbearable, and I would just return home,” Ayida said.
The fitness coach admitted that the turning point came when he realised he had to take charge of his healing. “I made a choice. I didn’t want to remain in that dark place. I began doing research on how to come out of it, and one of the first things I found was the importance of taking accountability,” he said.
Although taking responsibility initially made things worse, Ayida said it eventually helped him begin the journey toward healing. “It was hard at first, but I began to take practical steps, and slowly I started to regain control.”
Ayida and Makinwa were married in 2014, but the marriage ended in 2016 amid allegations of infidelity. Following the release of Makinwa’s memoir, On Becoming, which detailed aspects of their troubled relationship, Ayida sued her for defamation in 2017, demanding ₦100 million in damages.
The case was decided in 2020, when a Lagos High Court ruled in Ayida’s favour and awarded ₦500,000 in damages, to be paid to a charity of his choice. The court also ordered that the allegedly defamatory content be removed and barred any further publication of the material.
Despite the legal battles and emotional challenges, Ayida’s recent public reflections suggest a man focused on healing and growth.
