Inside Maya Jama's rocky love life - failed engagement to Stormzy romance
Ahead of making her Love Island debut, Maya Jama has said that it's "nice" to be "really single" again.
Like many of the contestants on the hit ITV2 show, it's been a rocky path on the way to finding love. From a failed engagement to being part of one of the UK's biggest power couples before a shock split, Maya's seen it all by the age of 28.
Recently, Maya was dogged by rumours that she was reuniting with ex Stormzy, but she's made it clear that's not the case.
"I’m really, really single right now. Newly single. It’s only been a month, but it’s nice," she told The Times.
Stormzy
Reflecting on her relationship with the grime star, she said that they had been "just little babies" when they had started dating.
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"We were so young when we met, just beginning our careers," she said.
"I was starting at MTV. He'd not even released a single at that point. We were just little babies.
Maya Jama and Stormzy were once considered a power couple (Getty Images)
The pair however split up in 2019 (WireImage)"I don't think either of us knew it was going to be such a big thing. We were just: we're young and in love and we're going to go for it and work really hard. We're just together. We never really did red carpets. We didn't do any of that stuff."
The pair were once upon a time one of the UK’s biggest power couples before their shock split in 2019 - but eagle-eyed fans of the pair had been rooting for them to get back together in recent months.
Maya and Stormzy first were pictured running into each other at the GQ Men of the Year 2022 Awards in November.
Following the annual event, eye-witnesses claimed that Maya and Stormzy left the event within minutes of each other.
The pair first met in October 2014, before they publicly started dating in January 2015, with Stormzy's music career just taking off.
After some time, the pair took the next step in their relationship as they moved in together in a swanky London property.
Maya later appeared in one of his music videos (AFP via Getty Images)
They were understood to have begun their romance in around 2015 (PA)Things seemed to be going from strength-to-strength as Stormzy wrote a song named 'Birthday Girl' for Maya, and she appeared in his music video for his chart-topping hit, Big For Your Boots in 2017.
Stormzy even hinted that marriage was on the cards for the couple, telling the Sunday Mirror in 2018: "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."
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However, things took a turn for the worst less than a year later when the pair announcement that they had separated in August 2019, after which rumours about Stormzy's fidelity began circulating.
In an interview on Charlamagne tha God's YouTube channel in January 2020, Stormzy asked directly if he had been unfaithful to Maya - accusations which he denied.
Stormzy answered: "Do you know what? I actually didn't cheat. I swear to God, I didn't cheat. "So we had broken up and I was out publicly being a rapper, being very inconsiderate to the fact that I've just come out of the most public relationship.
There was speculation over them reuniting (Dave Benett/Getty Images)
They were said to have spoken at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards last year (Getty Images)"We'd broken up and I went out and I acted disrespectfully. I was just out in clubs. I knew the world still thought I was in a relationship and I was out looking like I didn't give a f**k.
"It didn't need to be cheating for it to be a disrespect," he added.
He went on to open up to investigative journalist Louis Theroux during his new BBC 2 series, saying: "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."
The star whose real name is Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr went on to refer to the "hole f***ing palaver that surrounded that situation" before adding that there were "other mistakes [he'd] made".
He added that he "didn't do what a man should do to fully appreciate love, and care for his woman."
Ben Simmons
Maya Jama was left heartbroken after splitting from NBA player fiancé Ben Simmons during the summer.
She called it quits with the Aussie basketball superstar in July - just a number of months into their whirlwind engagement.
The Love Island host had been splitting her time between America and the UK in recent months, but according to reports, the Bristol-born beauty felt a strain due to her work commitments back in the UK.
Maya and Ben secretly got engaged (mirror.co.uk)
Months later the pair broke it off (2022 Gotham)Neither Ben nor Maya officially announced their engagement, but the brunette bombshell subtly flashed her huge diamond ring on the red carpet of the BRIT Awards back in February.
When quizzed by host Mo Gilligan, Maya remained coy but gave away her engagement secret as she gushed over Ben.
R&B singer Giveon
In December 2022, Maya reportedly enjoyed a string of dates with US R&B singer Giveon.
They were pictured together at the London Fashion Awards then later enjoyed some time together at Chiltern Firehouse.
Maya and Giveon Dezmann Evans attend The Fashion Awards (Getty Images for BFC)Maya is later said to have invited the star to wine and dine at the gorgeous new restaurant Bacchanalia on Wednesday.
They were seen cuddling in a taxi after leaving the restaurant.
Drake
Rumours sparked that Maya had been dating Drake after he dropped a song featuring her name in it.
In Only You, he raps: "Chubbs might jam this yute for a chain / And give it to a sweet one, called that Maya Jama."
It was reported that Drake had messaged Maya while she had still been in a relationship with Stormzy and she had ignored the messages.
Drake had a 'soft spot' for Maya (AFP via Getty Images)He is believed to have had a "soft spot" for her and started following her on Instagram in 2018, though she did not follow him back.
When she was single, Maya still wasn't interested, with a source saying at the time: "Maya wasn’t going to entertain any form of contact".
Rico Gordon
One of Maya's first boyfriends, Rico Gordon, was tragically killed when he was just 16.
She previously spoke about the tragedy during an interview with Cosmopolitan, saying: "When I was 16 I went through a lot. With my boyfriend passing, it gave me a fearless approach to things. I felt like life was really short.
"Out of everything that [has] happened in my life, that was a reality check on a massive scale. At 16 you think the world is a fairytale and it took me out of that. It made me even more determined."
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