“I Would Have Jumped From Balcony” – Davido Recalls Early Experience With Fame, Suicidal Thoughts

Nigerian Afrobeats star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has opened up about his first negative experience with instant fame and how it severely impacted his mental health early in his music career.

Speaking during a recent episode of the Vibe Podcast, the multi-award-winning singer recalled a leaked photo incident that occurred shortly after he gained nationwide stardom.

Davido explained that during a trip to Ghana for a performance, he took a lady to his hotel room, where she secretly photographed him asleep and shared it on social media.

The incident sparked widespread public backlash and prompted urgent calls from his family members, leaving the young artiste overwhelmed and contemplating suicide.

“The incident happened about two months after I became famous. I had two hit songs popping everywhere. We went to a show in Ghana, and the reception was crazy. I was excited. It was my first time to take a lady to my hotel room. I slept off and woke up to my manager banging on my door.

“It turned out that a lady posted me sleeping. My father was calling me. My sisters were calling me. If I saw a balcony that day, I would have jumped. I was young, and I liked women too much,” Davido recounted.

The music star noted that the embarrassing ordeal, though traumatic at the time, served as a turning point that taught him crucial lessons about protecting his reputation and setting firm boundaries as a public figure.