Yahoo News Inside Maya Jama and Stormzy's relationship as couple confirm split
The TV presenter and the rapper first got together in 2015
Maya Jama and Stormzy have called time on their romance, almost 10 years after they first got together.
The Love Island host and the rapper posted a message on Instagram saying they had tried to “make it work” but “recently decided to call it quits”. In a joint statement, they said they would stay friends and “still think the absolute world of each other”.
“We were 21 and 20 when we first met – both at the beginning of our careers – and spent five years growing together and then five years growing separately, so this final attempt required a whole lot of figuring out, relearning, and unlearning," they said. “We tried, and it didn't work, and that's okay.”
As the pair go their separate ways, we have a look back at their romance.
‘Normal relationship’ in early days
The couple met in 2014 and were friends first, although Jama once told Vogue magazine: “If I'm really honest, I knew I fancied him from the start.”
They officially became an item the following year and although both were celebs, neither was a huge star at that point, which meant they were able to get to know each other without the full glare of the spotlight.
In 2020, Jama said on Shopping With Keith Lemon: “I didn't ever feel like a celebrity couple. Everyone else made it like that. We just had a normal relationship. And then everyone was just talking about it. We met when we were like 20 before anyone cared about us. So then it was just a normal relationship.”
Couple split after four years
Stormzy and Jama were by each other’s sides as each forged their careers, with the rapper becoming a big deal in the music industry with the release of his 2017 debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer, and Jama racking up presenting roles on shows including Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star.
But in 2019 the pair broke up after four years of dating.
Jama’s rep issued a statement saying they were no longer living together but didn’t specify why they’d split. The rep said: “Maya has moved out of their home in south west London. The decision isn't one she has come to lightly, but ultimately the relationship has come to an end. She wants to focus on her TV and radio career for now.”
That same year Stormzy released the song Lessons, and some fans thought the lyrics referred to his romance with Jama. “You taught me love, oh, what a gift / I know that it's hard, too hard to forgive / And to be honest if I were you / I'd be the same way / To be honest if I were you / Then I'd be unforgiving too," he sang.
However, the chart star rubbished rumours about him cheating, with a rep telling Metro: “I can confirm any accusations or reports surrounding Stormzy’s infidelity to Maya are categorically not true.”
Stormzy opens up about split
The impact clearly had a big impact on Stormzy, and in 2022 he told GQ of that time: "I think my break up with Maya was still really heavy on my heart. I'd never experienced a breakup and the feelings that come with a break up. And I never wanted to ever be in a position again where I felt what I was feeling."
Stormzy – whose real name is Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr – also addressed the split on Louis Theroux Interviews... telling the documentary-maker: “My break-up, that was probably the biggest catalyst for growth as a man. It was like, 'OK, you made a mistake and you lose someone you loved, someone you cared for, someone who is special to you.'
"That's probably the biggest loss a man can have, isn't it? Away from someone passing away, that's the biggest loss you can have."
Moving on and new love
In 2021 Jama started dating Australian basketball star Ben Simmons and that summer they were snapped looked smitten at Wimbledon.
Sports star Simmons popped the question that December and Jama was spotted out and about wearing an incredible ring that was rumoured to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. However, the course of true love did not run smooth for the pair. In 2022 there were whispers of them having broken up, with busy work schedules cited as a reason.
Jama didn’t say much, but early in 2023 she did tell The Times that she was “newly single”.
Rekindling romance
In 2023 rumours that Jama and Stormzy had rekindled their romance started swirling. It seemed they had attended some of the same events, which had eagle-eyed fans wondering if they were dating again.
Things ramped up in August that year, when Jama went to the All Points East festival to watch Stormzy perform his headline set. Later that month a picture of them holding hands during a holiday in Greece appeared to confirm they were back together.
During the Love Island All Stars finale this year, Jama made a joke about reuniting with the rapper. The star was talking about exes Molly Smith and Callum Jones getting together again and said: “Was it a shock to you Callum, when you heard that the public wanted you two to get back together? I mean, I can relate. I had a lot of people saying I should get back with my ex...”
“You know, sometimes you’re just not ready for it,” she went on. Gesturing towards the crowd, she added: “He’s over there now so it’s all worked out in the end.”
Maya Jama and Stormzy confirm split
Jama and Stormzy's joint statement was shared on Instagram and said: "Hey guys, We've been laughing whilst drafting this because we never, ever, in a million years thought we'd be the couple announcing a breakup, but for the sake of clarity and, more importantly, to allow us the space and grace that's needed for us both to be able to navigate this next bit of our lives with peace, we thought it might be best to.
"We fell madly in love in 2014, broke up in 2019, and then spent five years manoeuvring life apart. We decided to try for the final time in August 2023, and we've spent this past year trying our best to make it work; however, we recently decided to call it quits.
"We were 21 and 20 when we first met - both at the beginning of our careers - and spent five years growing together and then five years growing separately, so this final attempt required a whole lot of figuring out, relearning, and unlearning. We tried, and it didn't work, and that's okay.
"We still think the absolute world of each other, we still care and respect each other, we are still grateful for the time we've had together, and we are still friends and will always be friends (so if you see us having a lil catch-up at The Brits or something, don't cause a fuss, we are dawgs!).
"Announcing this feels so dramatic, but we're doing it so that it kind of takes away the drama and avoids speculation and rumours. We're kindly asking for the grace to let both of us keep it moving and not be bothered about it (we highly doubt this'll work, but we're still kindly asking anyway). Love you guys and thank you for all the love you've showered us with, it's been beautiful! Mike & M."
