“Divorce made me depressed, turned me into African Bad Girl” – Singer Tiwa Savage spills

• Nigerian music icon Tiwa Savage disclosed the challenges she faced during and after her 2018 divorce from Tunji ‘TeeBillz’ Balogun.

• The 44-year-old experienced significant criticism, with many Nigerians attacking her character and turning against her.

• The singer recalls how influential individuals advised her to remain silent to maintain her reputation, despite the emotional turmoil that had erupted.

Nigerian music star Tiwa Savage has candidly discussed her divorce from Tunji ‘TeeBillz’ Balogun, shedding light on the difficulties she encountered during and following their separation in 2018.

In an appearance on The Receipts Podcast, the artist revealed that her former spouse was the catalyst for their breakup, which coincided with her battle against postpartum depression.

At 44 years of age, she reflected on the severe backlash she faced, noting that many Nigerians turned against her and criticized her character.

Tiwa recounted how influential individuals advised her to maintain silence in order to protect her reputation, even as the emotional toll of the situation became increasingly burdensome.

She also shared how TeeBillz publicly disclosed their marital problems, which resulted in her enduring significant public scrutiny.

Despite her efforts to present her perspective, she stated that the criticism only intensified.

“People said, ‘How dare you go and talk?’ I was told I’d never win because I was a woman. It was heartbreaking.”

Tiwa Savage discusses the emotional challenges she faced during her divorce.

“When I came out, I was Nigeria’s sweetheart when I started and I could do no wrong in Nigerian’s eyes. I did everything by the book. I went to university and I wasn’t a baby mama. I got married then I had a baby so I did everything in the right order and everybody loved me and then everything happened.

“Then I started getting hate from blogs and I started getting hate from certain people. The way our situation happened, he announced it online. I didn’t break up with him but I was the one being attacked.

“At the time, my baby was just a few months old and I was dealing with postpartum and my body wasn’t the same and I was depressed. Everyone then went to him and only a few people came to see me.

“After I interviewed to tell my side of the story, it got worse. People were like ‘How dare you go and talk’ ‘You’re a woman and you’re supposed to build the house, it’s your fault’.

“I remember famous people calling me to ask how I could tell my side of the story cuz I’d never win. Ever since then, I was like I won’t ever talk about the situation because it was very heartbreaking how the public took it and blamed me.”

“It was an eye-opener for me and it made me depressed for so long. It got me angry then I became the ‘African Bad Girl.”

“I thought to myself that after doing everything right I was still attacked. Then I started getting tattoos and wearing short skirts and bikini. I was just wild.”