"We tried, and it didn't work, and that's okay”.
It was the breakup announcement that no one wanted to believe. Ten years after they first got together, and a year since they rekindled their romance, Stormzy and Maya Jama announced that they have called it quits once again.
In a rare and remarkably candid joint statement, the rapper, 30 and Love Island presenter, 29, took to Instagram to break the news to their fans.
"We've been laughing whilst drafting this because we never, ever, in a million years thought we'd be the couple announcing a breakup,” the pair wrote. "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."
They went on to detail how they fell "madly in love in 2014" before breaking up five years later. "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," they said.
"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."
The couple added that they would remain friends, and asked for people "not to cause a fuss" if they see them catching up in the future at events like The Brit Awards."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."
The news will no doubt be a shock to fans, especially since the couple appeared together at The British Grand Prix just a week ago, where Jama was seen supporting Stormzy during his headline performance at the event.
This isn’t Stormzy and Maya’s first break-up – after meeting in 2014 and dating for four years, they first called it quits in 2019. During that time, they were beloved by the tabloids and fans alike – Vogue US even went as far as to call them “London’s coolest couple,” while social media appointed them a power couple for the ages. During the five years they spent apart, both of their social media comment sections were filled with fans begging for the two of them to reunite.
Rumours of a reconciliation between London’s former “relationship goals” couple started in August last year, when Maya Jama was seen supporting her ex, Stormzy, at his headline All Points East festival show. Fans tried not to get their hopes up, though, as this wasn’t the first time the two had been papped together since their split. But, they were soon spotted holding hands, and became Instagram official a few weeks later, when Maya melted hearts with a sweet video of Stormzy picking her up at the airport, with a sign that read: “Maya Jama #1 fan.”
As they break hearts with the news that they are going their separate ways once again, we take a look at how they became one of Britain’s most iconic power couples, and how it all went wrong.
How Stormzy and Maya Jama first earned their power couple status
Maya and Stormzy met when they were 20 and 21 years old respectively at the Red Bull Culture Clash Festival in October 2014. At the time, they were practically unknown — with Stormzy having not yet released a single, and Maya only just starting her first proper presenting gig at MTV.
“You know, if I’m really honest, I knew I fancied him from the start. But I didn’t want anything yet, because you know, you’re trying to do the whole friend situation at first,” Maya confessed in a joint 2019 US Vogue interview. “And then I’d do, like, obvious hints that I fancied him and then take it back because I didn’t know if he definitely liked me. It was a childish phase. Then one day we just kissed and that was that!”
A year after meeting they made their relationship official, and Stormzy released the life-changing freestyle “Shut Up” that turned him into an overnight, household name — with the song eventually peaking at No8 in the UK Singles Chart. As for Maya, she quickly became a broadcast sensation, helming shows for BBC Radio 1, guest appearing on Keith Lemon’s Celebrity Juice, and becoming the face of Aussie Shampoo.
But it wasn’t just their momentous success that made them so adored by the public. Whether it was their relatable Twitter (now rebranded as X) exchanges asking for “2 double cheeseburgers and 9 nuggets with dips thanks love you,” to which Stormzy replied, “Drink?”, or their adorable red carpet appearances, the two larger-than-life personalities seemed perfectly made for one another.
As Stormzy’s rap career continued to take off, he also penned several songs about his girlfriend including Birthday Girl (2016) and the critically acclaimed Big For Your Boots (2017), both of which Maya appeared in the music videos for. That year, Stormzy also told The Mirror that he was ready to propose: “I’m still so young but I want to propose, it’s going to happen and I will do it right. She is so sick, she is the best.”
So when news broke in 2019 that the pair had split, the country was devastated to lose their favourite couple.
‘I’m an a***hole, but I didn’t cheat’ — Stormzy and Maya’s first split
So, what caused Stormzy and Maya’s initial split in 2019? In short, no-one knows for sure. Although there were rumours that Stormzy cheating might have been behind their shock break-up.
A few days after Stormzy attended Maya’s 25th birthday party at an East London bar, the presenter’s representatives confirmed with media outlets that, “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.”
However, Stormzy was quick to dispel any cheating rumours.
At the start of 2020, Stormzy told HOT 97: “If there was a box of what a good woman is, she ticks every one, she’s amazing. But I didn’t cheat on her. I actually didn’t cheat. Don’t get it twisted, I’m still definitely an a***hole. 100%, that’s a fact. I’m an a***hole. But I thought now was a good time to say that I didn’t cheat on my ex.”
Stormzy also made it no secret that he wanted to rekindle with the Love Island host — a hope he maintained during their five years apart (which even saw Maya become engaged to US basketball player Ben Simmons in 2021). Later in his HOT97 interview, when asked if he still loved his ex Maya, he replied: “Yeah, definitely, with all my heart.”
That same year, he also told radio host Charlamagne Tha God: “I’ve never loved anyone how I’ve loved her… I would love to be the man who she needs, I would love to do all the things that make this work. I want to marry her, I want to have her children.”
Even two years later during a conversation with Louis Theroux on his podcast Interviews, the Vossi Bop rapper was still talking about the breakup, saying it was “probably the biggest catalyst” for his growth as a person. “It was like, OK, you made a mistake and you lose someone you loved, someone you cared for, someone who is special to you,” he said. “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.” He also revealed he “didn’t do what a man should do to fully appreciate love, and care for his woman.”
Although Maya told Vogue in her August 2023 cover story: “None of us really knew the level of importance it held to a certain group of people, us being together,” she continued. “We were both super ambitious. We were both from similar upbringings and we were both just little grafters that have made something good of ourselves. It was lovely when it was lovely, and then you move.” The presenter largely seemed to move on during their separation, even going as far as getting engaged to Simmons in December 2021 after seven months of dating (they split in August 2022 due to their hectic work schedules).
Their careers reach new heights — and they rekindle their romance
Since splitting in 2019, both Stormzy and Maya continued to reach new career heights, with her star power quickly matching his.
In their years apart, Stormzy released three best-selling albums — Gang Signs and Prayer in 2017, Heavy is the Head in 2019 and, most recently, This Is What I Mean in 2022 — that have earned him 30 awards including two BRIT Awards, one Ivor Novello Award, and six MOBO Awards. In 2018, he also launched #Merky Books in partnership with Penguin Random House to nurture young writing talent from under-represented backgrounds, as well as his Cambridge University scholarship funds (both of which are still running today).
As for Maya, she launched her own skincare line called MIJ, collaborated on collections with Pretty Little Thing and JD Sports, as well as becoming the host of popular BBC Three show Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make Up Star, hosted the 2024 BRIT Awarads and, perhaps most famously, become the nation’s sweetheart after landing the elusive Love Island host role late last year.
Rumours that the pair might be back together began to swirl in August last year, when Maya was seen at Stormzy’s headline All Points East show. Then, both started posting seemingly innocuous Instagram stories, which eager social media armchair detectives quickly spotted were from the same Greek hotel.
It all began when the This Is What I Mean artist posted a TikTok video of himself enjoying the facilities of the £2,700 a night East Peloponnese resort Amanzoe, which has also welcomed David and Victoria Beckham in the past. But wait — didn’t the decor look suspiciously similar to the hotel room that Maya was also posting on her social, fans questioned?
“I’m just coming from doing FBI work on Maya’s insta post and stories and Stormzy’s tiktok,” wrote one fan. “It’s the same chair, ceiling and wall ladies and gentlemen.”
As the internet debated whether this was an attempt at soft launching their reunion, images of the two holding hands as they popped out for some lunch and a romantic boat trip went viral. Soon after, the couple went Instagram official, when Maya posted an adorable Instagram story of Stormzy picking her up from the airport. The short video showed Stormzy waiting beside his car clutching on to a picture of Maya’s Dolce & Gabbana fashion campaign and a sign that read “Maya Jama #1 fan”.
A source said at the time: “Stormzy is really open about wanting to settle down and have kids one day and he knows Maya is ‘The One’.” They also revealed that it was Stormzy’s mum who helped the two finally reconcile. “Stormzy is really close to his mum Abigail who has always been Maya’s biggest fan,” the source continued. “Abigail wants the best for her son and motivated him to make amends with Maya.”
Stormzy and Maya had net worths of £21.5 million and £1.5 million respectively, as of last year. And, with the news of their reunion, their mega starpower was only set to grow.
“Stormzy and Maya Jama have a combined following of six million. They will become more lucrative when sharing their followers, being in the public eye together, and combining their influence across channels such as Instagram, publications, and paid media to become powerful units,” Amy Sturgis, founder of PR consulting firm ASC Global said at the time.
“Individually, Stormzy and Maya Jama are successful in their own right, and boast huge and loyal followings. However, their worth together will increase dramatically. Brands now lock in paid partnerships with couples because it increases the reach. Good examples of this: Google tapped John Legend & Chrissy Teigen, Tiffany & Co tapped Beyoncé and Jay Z, and Aimé Leon Dore had Sarah Lysander and Bashir Arab Sanchez.”
In the weeks that followed, they were spotted together in public numerous times, with a cosy date at Winter Wonderland and behind-the-scenes snaps at the Fashion Awards.
But the pair were keen to keep their relationship on the private side this time. “We were so public the first time round. Somewhere down the line, my spirit started resisting,” Stormzy told last year’s December issue of Vogue, adding: “So I’m not gonna speak on it.”
Where did it all go wrong this time?
Ten years after their initial meeting, and a year on from rekindling their relationship, Stormzy and Maya officially announced they were calling it quits on Wednesday morning. The announcement has come as Maya is halfway through filming the latest season of Love Island, and Stormzy is recording a new studio album.
While the statement made clear that the split was amicable, assuring the public that they were still friends, it did not hint at a reason for the break-up. Just a week earlier the pair had stepped out together at the British Grand Prix, and were also seen looking affectionate at Glastonbury. Maya had also been seen supporting him at his new bar in Soho.
As was to be anticipated, fans have taken to social media to express their devastation.
“Fully don’t believe in love anymore I swear, maya jama & stormzy breaking up again is just the cherry on the cake”, wrote one person on X/Twitter. “We lost the Euros, love island is a mess and now Maya Jama and Stormzy have broken up!? I can’t that’s my final straw”, wrote another.
While it might be a tough pill to swallow for their fans, the pair have asked for privacy to "let both of us keep it moving and not be bothered about it”, adding “(we highly doubt this'll work, but we're still kindly asking anyway).”
