Olajumoke Orisaguna, once known as the “bread seller-turned-model,” has shared the story of how her marriage to Sunday Orisaguna, her now ex-husband, was filled with domestic abuse, which ultimately contributed to the decline of her career.
Speaking candidly during an interview on City FM, Olajumoke revealed details about the abuse she endured and how it overshadowed her rise to fame.
Olajumoke’s journey to prominence began in 2016 when she accidentally walked into a photoshoot conducted by renowned photographer TY Bello for British rapper Tinie Tempah.
That single moment transformed her life, transforming her from a struggling bread hawker on the streets of Lagos to a nationally recognized figure in the modeling industry.
During the interview, Olajumoke recounted the years she spent with her ex-husband, Sunday. According to her, the challenges began during their life together in Ire, Osun State. “It started with the living environment. I faced hostility, and my mother-in-law’s treatment towards me was unkind,” she recalled. “Sunday himself was physically abusive, and it became a regular part of my life.”
When Olajumoke relocated to Lagos to seek better opportunities, she began hawking bread to support herself and her two children. It was during one of the routine hawking trips that she encountered TY Bello.
Sunday later joined her in Lagos, but the abuse, she alleged, continued even as her modeling career flourished. “He would beat me even in the house that had been rented for me in Surulere,” she said. “I couldn’t tell anyone what was happening, not even TY Bello. I kept enduring because I didn’t want people to know the extent of my struggles. I felt societal pressure as a mother to keep up appearances, and the stigma of separation kept me silent.”
Despite her rising fame, Olajumoke faced additional challenges. “When I went out for photoshoots, I often returned home late, and he would accuse me of sleeping around,” she said. “He didn’t have a job. I was the one hustling to make ends meet for the family while he stayed at home, slept, or went out drinking. All I wanted was for him to stop the beatings. But it got worse; he even began monitoring my movements and insulting my parents.”
After enduring years of abuse, Olajumoke decided to leave the marriage. “It’s been almost four years since I separated from him,” she explained. “The breaking point came when he began to ruin my reputation after we split. He spread false accusations against me and tarnished the names of those who had supported me, including TY Bello. His actions caused my career to decline rapidly. Things have not been the same since.”
