Nollywood actress Ayo Adesanya has revealed her painful experience in a decade-long toxic relationship that left her battling depression and alcoholism.
Speaking in a recent interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Adesanya disclosed that despite not being married to her partner, she remained in the abusive relationship out of fear of public judgment.
“I met somebody, but at the time, I was naive. I stayed in the relationship that long because, being an actress, I didn’t want people to blame me for the breakup,” she said.
Adesanya recounted suffering repeated physical and emotional abuse, describing how her partner would beat her and later plead for forgiveness. Struggling to cope, she turned to alcohol to numb the pain.
“I would sneak out to get a bottle of brandy and go to a corner to drink it because I wanted to be numb. I would drink a whole bottle; I was a drunk. I didn’t want to hear whatever he was saying; I didn’t want to feel the beating,” she admitted.
The 55-year-old actress recalled secretly visiting pharmacies early in the morning to buy alcohol before facing another day in the toxic relationship.
Adesanya revealed that after having a recurring dream about a car moving backward, she finally decided to leave.
“In the dream, people on the road were telling me to leave because it was my time for glory,” she explained.
With the support of her sister, she made her escape one night while her abuser was at a club.
“One day, I told one of my sisters what I was going through and asked her to help me. That night, he went to the club, so it was a saving grace. At midnight, Lara came, I packed my personal belongings, took my son, and that was how I left,” she said.
The actress admitted she had attempted to leave three times before but always returned. However, that night, she found the courage to walk away for good.
Adesanya was previously in a relationship with Nollywood actor Goriola Hassan, with whom she has a son.
