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Summary
Nigerian actress Ayo Adesanya has opened up about her 10-year abusive relationship with Nollywood actor Goriola Hassan. She revealed that years of physical and emotional abuse led her to alcoholism as a way to cope. After several failed attempts, she finally left with the help of her sister. Ayo’s story highlights the deep impact of domestic abuse and the challenges survivors face in breaking free.
Veteran Nigerian actress Ayo Adesanya has revealed that she endured a decade-long abusive relationship that pushed her into alcoholism.
Speaking on the “WithChude” podcast with Chude Jideonwo, Ayo disclosed that she stayed in the toxic relationship out of fear of public scrutiny despite suffering constant physical and emotional abuse. She explained that the relentless “beating and nagging” from her ex-partner, Nollywood actor Goriola Hassan, led her into depression, and she turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism.
“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.
According to Women’s Aid, one in four women (27%) has experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16 (ONS, 2023a). Recent data by UNICEF shows that more than 370 million girls and women alive today, equivalent to one in 8 women, have experienced male sexual violence before the age of 18. The World Health Organization (WHO) also estimates that about 1 in 3 (30%) of women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime globally. Most of this violence is intimate partner violence.
Ayo also recounted how she would secretly consume alcohol to “numb” herself against the insults and beatings. “I would sneak out to get a bottle of brandy and go to a corner to drink it because I wanted to be numb,” she said. “I became an alcoholic because I didn’t want to feel the beating.”
Despite several attempts to leave, Ayo said she returned to the relationship three times before finally walking away. She recalled a recurring dream in which people urged her to let go, which ultimately convinced her to escape. With the help of her sister, she left at midnight while Hassan was at a club, taking only her personal belongings and her son.
The actress also shared that some of her colleagues, including Bimbo Akintola and Remi Surutu, tried to intervene on her behalf, but she discouraged them, knowing it would only lead to more violence.
