Nigerian singer Iyanya Onoyom Mbuk, popularly known as Iyanya, has opened up about how life in the spotlight has taken a toll on his love life, explaining why he remains single at 39.
Speaking candidly on a recent episode of the Afropolitan podcast, the “Kukere” crooner revealed that past relationships left him emotionally scarred, largely due to experiences of manipulation and public threats from former partners.
According to Iyanya, some of the women he dated often threatened to take their disagreements to blogs whenever misunderstandings arose, a situation he said deeply affected him and eventually led to commitment issues.
“I’m not thinking of a serious relationship or marriage right now because I’m not mentally ready,” he said.
“If someone is patient enough to stay until I get to a comfortable space, then maybe we can make it work. But for now, commitment is one of the hardest things for me.”
The singer explained that his struggles stem from repeated heartbreaks during his years as a celebrity, adding that each attempt at commitment ended painfully.
“When you’re famous, there are girlfriends who can’t wait to go to the blogs when things go wrong,” Iyanya noted. “I’m human too. I’ve been in this industry for 17 years, it’s not possible that I’ve just been playing games with women all that time. I’ve genuinely fallen in love before.”
He said the constant fear of public embarrassment whenever issues arose made him develop trust and commitment problems, as the pattern repeated itself several times.
Iyanya also revealed that he has chosen to embrace celibacy as a way of coping with his current emotional state, though he admitted that maintaining it consistently has been a challenge.
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