“Lying About My Age Drove Me Into Depression” – Yemi Alade

Nigerian Afrobeat star Yemi Alade has revealed that lying about her age once pushed her into depression.

Speaking in an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, the Knack Am crooner admitted that she repeatedly claimed to be 22 years old for three consecutive years.

According to her, the realization that she was actually 25 at the time triggered a mental breakdown.

“There was a time someone asked my age, and for three years, I kept saying I was 22. Then one day, I did the math and discovered I was actually 25. I became depressed for a few days because my mind couldn’t process it,” she said. “It was a mental struggle — for three years, I didn’t even know my real age.”

In a related development, Nollywood actress Nancy Isime recently recounted how Yemi Alade helped her during her early days of hustling in Lagos.

Isime, who began working at 17 as an usher and model, said she often faced difficulties returning home to Ikorodu after late events, sometimes sleeping at venues or relying on friends for accommodation.

Her situation improved after she reached out to Yemi Alade, then an acquaintance, to ask if she could stay at her off-campus apartment. Yemi agreed without hesitation and hosted her for several weeks without a single complaint.