Toke Makinwa’s Ex, Maje Ayida Reveals Struggle With Depression After Public Divorce With Actress

Fitness entrepreneur Maje Ayida has opened up about his year-long struggle with depression following his widely publicized split from media personality and actress Toke Makinwa.

Speaking during a testimony at a UK church — a video of which has since gone viral — Ayida shared how the backlash from the divorce led him to withdraw from society, sink into shame, and eventually lose focus on his work and business.

“I went through a very public divorce, and it left me feeling extremely alone,” Ayida said. “I became ashamed of the situation and what I felt I had done to my family name. That shame made me isolate myself. I didn’t want to interact with anyone or go to work. I lost deals, I lost motivation, I lost myself.”

He said the mental toll of the ordeal led to insomnia, paranoia, and a growing sense of hopelessness that left him barely functioning.

“There were days I couldn’t get out of bed. I checked out of life for almost a year,” he added. “I created a narrative in my head that everyone was judging me, and it pushed me further into isolation.”

Ayida said the turning point came when he decided to take responsibility for his actions and started working through the pain with research and practical steps toward healing. “The first thing I had to do was accept accountability. It was painful, but it was necessary for survival.”

Maje Ayida and Toke Makinwa married in 2014, but their union ended two years later amid reports of infidelity. In 2017, Ayida sued Makinwa for defamation over her memoir On Becoming, which detailed her version of their failed marriage.

In 2020, a Lagos High Court ruled in Ayida’s favor, awarding damages of ₦500,000 each to be paid by the book’s author and publisher to a charity of his choice. The court also barred further publication of the book containing the disputed content.