Nigerian Afrobeat star Yemi Alade has revealed that lying about her age for years once pushed her into depression.

Speaking during an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, the singer said she spent three years telling people she was 22 — until she realised she was actually 25.

According to her, the realisation left her shaken, as she struggled to accept the truth about her real age.

“There was a time someone asked me how old I was, and for about three years I kept saying 22. Then one day I calculated it and realised I was already 25,” she said.

Yemi admitted the discovery messed with her head.

“I was depressed for a few days because my mind couldn’t process it. It was mental — for three years, I didn’t know my age,” she added.

Yemi Alade said the experience taught her a tough lesson about honesty and self-awareness, describing that period as one of the strangest phases of her life.