We often tell little lies to protect ourselves.
Sometimes, it’s to make others see us differently. Other times, it’s to make ourselves feel better. But when a lie starts living rent-free in your head, it quietly begins to shape how you see yourself.
For Nigerian Afrobeats star Yemi Alade, that lie was about her age.
In a revealing interview with Chude Jideonwo, Yemi shared how pretending to be younger for years eventually took a toll on her mental health.
“There was a time someone asked me my age, and I kept saying for three years that I was 22”
“Then I realised I was 25 years old. I took out my phone and did the mathematics. I was depressed for a few days. My mind wasn’t taking it in. It was mental — for three years, I didn’t know my right age.”
It sounds like a small thing, after all, many people shave off a year or two without thinking twice. But for Yemi, the realization hit deeper. It wasn’t about numbers; it was about truth. The moment she faced reality, her mind couldn’t keep pretending.
When Little Lies Start to Weigh Us Down
It’s easy to relate. Maybe you’ve lied about your age to seem younger at work, or lied about being “fine” when you were falling apart inside. Maybe you’ve told people you’re over someone when you still cry about them at night. Or said you love your job, when in truth, you feel trapped.
We all wear masks sometimes, to protect our image, to keep peace, to avoid shame. But like Yemi’s story shows, even harmless lies can slowly eat away at your peace.
Because when you lie long enough, your mind starts to lose track of what’s real. You begin to perform your life instead of living it.
The Pressure to Pretend
For women, especially in entertainment, the pressure to look young and “marketable” is real. Society celebrates youth but whispers shame at the thought of aging, as if growth is something to hide.
Yemi’s confession was more than celebrity gossip; it was a mirror. It revealed how even success doesn’t protect you from insecurities. Sometimes, it magnifies them.
And outside the spotlight, many of us live the same way, curating perfect lives online while fighting silent battles offline. We lie to others and then lie to ourselves, hoping the truth will stay quiet. But it never really does.
Choosing Honesty and Healing
There’s freedom in honesty, even the uncomfortable kind. It’s the kind that says, Yes, I’m not where I want to be, but I’m still growing.
Yes, I made mistakes, but I’m learning to forgive myself.
That kind of truth might not make you look perfect, but it will make you whole.
Yemi Alade’s story is a reminder that self-acceptance isn’t a destination; it’s a daily decision. To love yourself as you are, without trimming or editing the truth.
So maybe it’s time we all stop pretending about our age, our pain, our progress, or our joy.
The moment you stop lying to protect your image, you start healing your reality.
It gets better, right?
Wishing you well…
