It was a deeply personal interview with Tosin Ajibade of OloriSuperGal, as award-winning filmmaker, media entrepreneur, and #WithChude host Chude Jideonwo opened up about his mental health journey, revealing how clinical depression, once the darkest chapter of his life, ultimately became a source of healing, insight, and joy. Speaking after the release of his memoir How Depression Saved My Life, Jideonwo shared the intimate story of how his lowest moments shaped his purpose and transformed his understanding of vulnerability, resilience, and connection.
Recounting the period when he was diagnosed with clinical depression and nearly lost the will to live, Jideonwo reflected on the emotional weight that so often goes unseen. In the OloriSuperGal interview, he explained that while depression nearly ended him, it also forged the path for some of his most meaningful work, including the creation of #WithChude, a platform built on the belief that honest conversations can heal and transform. “Depression didn’t end me, it taught me joy,” he told OloriSuperGal, reveleaing how embracing vulnerability became the foundation for stories that resonate across the continent and beyond.
Jideonwo’s reflections extend beyond his own life into a broader call for empathy and openness around mental health in Africa’s public discourse. He shared how his personal encounter with despair influenced his mission to create spaces where people can talk about pain, purpose, and healing without fear or stigma. The interview with OloriSuperGal marks one of the most exciting conversations he has given about the inner work behind his public life, and stands as a powerful reminder that joy, and sometimes redemption, can emerge from our most difficult struggles.
Chude Jideonwo Shares in an interview: “Depression Didn’t End Me, It Taught Me Joy”
