Maya Jama has addressed speculation that she and Stormzy have rekindled their romance, clarifying that they are just friends. The Love Island host broke her silence after fans noticed the former couple had re-followed each other on Instagram this week.
Speculation grew when Maya, 32, shared a video singing along to one of her rapper ex's tracks. When a fan shared a clip of her singing to the song on X with eye emojis, she replied: "I like the song. We have always been friends. No one is back together, rest with the theories."
How the couple first met
Maya and Stormzy, 33, are believed to have first met at the Red Bull Culture Clash event in London in 2014, when they were just starting out in their careers. Maya joined MTV UK as a presenter for The Wrap Up, her first major television role, while Stormzy burst into the UK underground music scene with his Wicked Skengman freestyles and his debut EP, Dreamers Disease.
Maya later admitted she "fancied him at the start", although they began as friends before making it official in early 2015. They went public with their relationship in 2016, with the rapper dedicating his track 'Birthday Girl' to his girlfriend, who also starred in the music video. In a joint Vogue interview in 2018, Maya said: "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 first, 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 likes me. It was a childish phase. And then one day we just kissed, and that was that!"
Wedding bells and the first split
Wedding bells started ringing as Stormzy, then in his early 20s, told Mirror in 2017: "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." Maya also opened up about being known as "Stormzy's girlfriend", telling The Times: "I'm not naive to the fact that when you are a woman in the industry, most of the things that people want to talk about are your relationships."
After four years together, the couple parted ways in 2019. While rumours circulated about Stormzy being unfaithful, he publicly denied any cheating claims but acknowledged making "mistakes" in the relationship. He released the song 'Lessons' that year, which heavily alluded to the pain and regrets of the split.
Reunion and final split
Over the next few years, they navigated life separately. Stormzy spoke openly about the breakup being the "biggest catalyst for growth" in a 2022 Louis Theroux BBC interview, while Maya moved on and became engaged to NBA player Ben Simmons, although they split in 2022. Rumours of a reunion peaked when Maya was spotted supporting her ex at his All Points East headline set in London in 2023. Days later, photos emerged of the pair holding hands during a holiday in Greece, confirming they were back on.
Despite giving their relationship a second chance, the couple released a joint Instagram statement announcing their break-up in 2024, explaining that although they tried to make it work, they had grown too much apart.
Reconciliation rumours addressed
Just a few days ago, Maya shut down rumours after fans noticed the pair had re-followed each other on Instagram. She also posted a video singing along to his song 'One Second', addressing the speculation: "I like the song. We have always been friends. No one is back together, rest with the theories."
Her post instantly went viral, racking up more than 2.7 million views. One rap fan replied: "It's a banger to be fair." Another said: "Singing the song definitely did not help the rumours." A third added: "That was quick lol," while a fourth chimed in: "But Maya you and Stormzy are meant to be!"
After their permanent split in July 2024, Maya started dating Manchester City footballer Rúben Dias, 29, in September that year, although the pair called it quits in May 2026. Insiders close to the pair claimed their professional responsibilities ramped up ahead of the summer, with Maya undertaking an intense TV filming schedule while Rúben travelled to the US ahead of the World Cup.
