On May 8, 2023, the four members of the popular YouTube channel “Over 25″—Jules, Lornzie, Ivy, and Shikie—announced they were ending their journey together. Seven years and over 157,000 subscribers later, this news surprised many fans, and led to various speculations.
One rumor that quickly gained attention involved media personality Chris Makena. It was suggested that Makena was at the center of a love triangle with two members of the group, leading to their breakup.
However, the Over 25 team firmly denied these claims. In a joint statement, they called the rumors “unpleasant and fabricated narratives” and urged fans to focus on positivity and truth.
Why Over 25 Broke up
Julia “Jules” Gaitho, the channel’s founder, has since revealed the real reasons behind the split. According to Jules, the breakup was due to internal issues, not external drama. She admitted that poor communication and the absence of formal agreements were significant factors.
“As the channel grew into a business, conflicts became inevitable,” Jules said.
“I wish I had known how to communicate my boundaries better. Back then, I lacked the skills to resolve conflicts with friends, so I often avoided them, which only caused bigger problems later.”
Another issue was the lack of clear roles and proper documentation. “I wish we had established a contract from the start,” Jules added.
“We often clashed over things like finances and which clients to work with. If we had set roles, like Creative Director or Finance, things might have been smoother.”
Jules emphasized that mixing friendship with business was their biggest challenge.
“We knew how to be friends, but we didn’t know how to work together,” she reflected.
Despite the challenges, the group expressed gratitude for their journey and the support they received from fans. They thanked their subscribers for being part of their seven-year run and appreciated the love shown after their final video.
What Happened to the Over 25 Members?
After the breakup of Over 25, each of the four women has pursued new ventures:
Jules is an award-winning content creator who started the @sothisislove_podcastke and co-hosts the “It’s Related, I Promise” podcast with Sharon Machira.
Ivy has rebranded as Just Ivy Africa. She’s a digital content creator and self-proclaimed “thinkfluencer” focused on personal and business finance, with over 300,000 Instagram followers.
Shikie is a digital creator focusing on family, fashion, wellness, and everyday life. She co-hosts “Unit the Podcast” with her husband, fitness trainer Shiverenje ‘Shiv’ Simani.
Lornzie is a content creator and owns a plus-size fashion brand. Her Instagram is mostly videos of her adorable son, Yahya Legend. She is married to Diallo “Dee” Gatabaki.
By Vivian K.