Tonto Dikeh Shares 27-Year Battle with Addiction

Nollywood star Tonto Dikeh has opened up about her decades-long struggle with substance abuse and various personal battles, revealing that she began smoking at the tender age of 13 and fought the resulting addiction for 27 years. The actress made the candid confession while sharing an emotional testimony during a Sunday service at the Streams of Joy International Church, presided over by Pastor Jerry Eze in Abuja.

Dikeh, now 40, painted a picture of a life dominated by a series of destructive habits, encompassing not only prolonged smoking but also crippling alcohol dependency and what she described as deep-seated issues with masturbation and uncontrollable anger. In her address to the congregation, the actress categorized these struggles as forms of “demonic oppression,” attributing her eventual freedom from them to profound divine intervention and a radical transformation of her spiritual life. She emphasized that the noticeable changes in her behavior and lifestyle began manifesting only after she made a conscious decision to deepen her connection with her faith.

The actress offered specific details about the nature of her struggles, linking her entry into substance abuse to her childhood environment. She explained that her smoking addiction originated because her own father was a smoker, exposing her to the harmful habit early in life. This personal connection led her to offer a powerful word of caution to parents, urging them to be mindful of their habits and consciously avoid exposing their children to destructive behaviors and vices.

Delving into her other battles, Dikeh spoke candidly about struggles that transcended substance abuse. “I smoked since I was 13. God healed me from masturbation, too. I have known myself to have sexual intercourse in the dream ever since I was a child,” the actress stated, illustrating the intensity of the issues she faced. She further testified that divine intervention had also recently liberated her from what she labeled “demonic anger.” She confessed that this issue had severely impacted both her professional and personal relationships, often leading to public controversies and setbacks in her life.

Following the actress’s heartfelt and emotionally raw testimony, the founder of the church, Pastor Jerry Eze, offered a powerful prayer over her. He made a spiritual declaration that “the burden of sin is broken” from her life and bestowed a prophetic mantle upon her, describing Dikeh as being destined to be “a voice in her generation.” The public nature of the testimony marks a significant turning point for the Nollywood star, who has consistently sought to share her journey of healing and transformation with her fans, using her platform to discuss issues of mental health, trauma, and spirituality. Her willingness to share the intimate details of her 27-year struggle provides a potent message of hope and recovery for those battling similar addictions and personal demons.