Tiwa Savage Reveals Divorce Struggles: “It Made Me Depressed and Turned Me Into the ‘African Bad Girl'”
Nigerian music sensation Tiwa Savage has opened up about her turbulent divorce from Tunji “TeeBillz” Balogun, sharing deeply personal insights about the emotional toll it took on her life and career.
Speaking candidly on The Receipts Podcast, the 44-year-old Afrobeat star reflected on the heartbreak of her 2018 separation, which she revealed was exacerbated by her struggles with postpartum depression and public backlash.
“I Was Nigeria’s Sweetheart”
Tiwa described how her rise to fame was met with widespread admiration, as she followed what she called the “perfect path” of societal expectations.
“When I started, I was Nigeria’s sweetheart. I could do no wrong. I went to university, got married, had a baby — everything by the book. But then everything came crashing down, and I became the target of criticism,” she said.
The separation, which TeeBillz announced online, marked a turning point in Tiwa’s life. Despite not initiating the breakup, she recalled being vilified in the media and by the public.
“I Was Told I’d Never Win”
Tiwa revealed how the overwhelming criticism pushed her into a dark place. “At the time, my baby was just a few months old, and I was already dealing with postpartum depression. My body wasn’t the same, and I was depressed. But instead of support, people attacked me,” she shared.
After attempting to tell her side of the story in a public interview, she faced even more backlash.
“People said, ‘How dare you go and talk? You’re a woman, and you’re supposed to hold the home together.’ Famous people called to tell me I’d never win, and it was my fault because I was a woman. It was heartbreaking,” Tiwa recounted.
Reinvention as the “African Bad Girl”
The constant criticism and emotional pain led Tiwa to transform her image and embrace a bolder persona.
“It made me depressed for so long, but it also made me angry. I thought to myself, ‘If I did everything right and still got attacked, why should I bother?’ That’s when I became the ‘African Bad Girl,’” she said.
Tiwa explained how she began to rebel against societal norms, opting for tattoos, shorter skirts, and bikinis. “I was just wild. It was my way of coping and reclaiming control of my life after being judged for so long,” she added.
Despite the challenges, Tiwa’s resilience and reinvention have made her an enduring icon in the global music scene, solidifying her place as a trailblazer in African entertainment.
The revelations highlight not only the personal cost of fame but also the cultural pressures that women in the spotlight often endure. Through it all, Tiwa continues to inspire, proving that reinvention is a powerful tool for survival and success.
