Paras Griffin/Getty Images and Prince Williams/Wireimage
Simon Guobadia has been through it, yall. The businessmans life has taken a dramatic turn in a matter of one week. After being detained by ICE, deported to Nigeria, and reportedly losing his prenup battle with ex-wife Porsha Williams, Simon is breaking his silence as he returns to his home country. Now, hes spilling on the nightmare conditions he endured while locked up and suggests he may have been targeted all along.
Simon told Us Magazine in an interview released on Friday, June 13, that his immigration drama started when he landed in the U.S. in February. He had just returned from being overseas while his divorce from Porsha was continuing to make headlines.
As soon as his plane touched down, ICE agents swooped in, turning his world upside down. He says they snatched his electronic devices and demanded his passcodes for a forensic investigation. Simon said he was carrying a whole mobile office when they took everything from him. Next, they hit him with the news that he was being detained before being handcuffed and hauled away.
Simons raising eyebrows, though, hinting this whole ICE fiasco mightve been a setup. He pointed out that his immigration issues have been public for years, so why now? Well, with The Real Housewives of Atlanta season 16 airing just days after his arrest, the timing felt suspicious to him. He told the publication it felt like a target, firstly blaming the new administrations stricter policies and agents scoping flight logs for names like his.
However, Simons also side-eyeing Porsha and her camp, suggesting someone behind her mightve wanted to see him go down. He admitted that he was just going off on speculation and couldnt say for sure since he had no proof.
I expected that Im in a contentious divorce, and its not just one individual Im dealing with. I am dealing with those behind her, the powers behind her that, obviously, would like to see her succeed and ensure that the investment in this person will come to fruition.
Simon also detailed the nightmare conditions he faced while locked up until his deportation. He told Us Magazine that he struggled to get a bond set and didnt receive a precise date for when he could see a judge. He then broke down, sharing how hed been bottling up the trauma for months.
Im sorry, he said. There are a lot of things that I kind of bottled up for a while. So this interview is the first time Im truly speaking out about the experience.
Simon was said to have been cut off from his family for days. Additionally, he was placed in protective custody due to his celebrity status. He says he spent 23 hours a day in his cell with just one hour outside.
I understood why people would kill themselves, but Im too strong to do that. But I understand why people, when you [are] put in a certain mental headspace, you start to understand why people do what they do,
