Afrobeat sensation Yemi Alade has shared a deeply personal story about how a simple lie about her age once took a toll on her mental health.
In a recent interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, the award-winning singer revealed that she spent three years claiming she was 22, only to later realise she was actually 25.
According to Yemi, the discovery left her emotionally drained and mentally shaken.
“There was a time someone asked me how old I was, and for about three years I kept saying 22. Then one day I calculated it and realised I was already 25,” she recalled.
“I was depressed for a few days because my mind couldn’t process it. It was mental — for three years I didn’t know my age.”
The “Knack Am” hitmaker said the experience made her more aware of how self-deception can silently affect one’s mental well-being, noting that pretending to be someone she wasn’t created unnecessary pressure.
Yemi described those years as a tough but eye-opening chapter in her life, one that ultimately taught her to embrace authenticity and self-acceptance.
“It was a wake-up call,” she added. “I learned that being honest with yourself is one of the greatest forms of peace.”
