RHOA star Porsha Williams’ ex Simon Guobadia breaks silence on ICE ‘nightmare’ after getting deported

In simpler terms, Simon Guobadia, who was married to reality TV personality Porsha Williams from “The Real Housewives Of Atlanta,” shared a critical perspective on his experience in immigration detention following his deportation to Nigeria this past weekend.

On Tuesday, it was verified by DailyMail.com that Guobadia had been discharged from the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and deported back to his native land.

Currently, Guobadia has shared that he’s been away for some time, but recently journeyed to the United States to participate in a hearing concerning his ongoing divorce proceedings with Williams.

Instead, he stated that upon landing, approximately seven Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were waiting for him at the entry to his arrival terminal.

Guobadia recounted that, when he was taken to the detention center, both his wrists and ankles were handcuffed, and he had a harrowing experience there about three months prior to his deportation.

He argued that since he was a well-known personality, he was offered a choice between staying among the common detainees or being placed in an isolated cell. Choosing the latter, he spent nearly 23 hours daily alone, which led him to comprehend why some individuals might take their own lives while in custody, according to Us Weekly.

Williams contends that her ex-husband’s incarceration by ICE was a result he brought upon himself, pointing out in legal papers that, as best as she knows, he repeatedly tried to unlawfully enter and stay in the U.S., which led to his latest detention, according to court documents obtained by People this past March.

Guobadia arrived in the United States about a day or so prior to the debut of season 16 of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta, which took place on March 9th.

He asserted that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers boarded his aircraft with the intention of removing him, and proceeded to inquire extensively about his professional activities and the origin of his journey. Additionally, they requested that he hand over his electronic devices.

As an over-the-moon fan, I’d rephrase it like this: “Guobadia handed over the codes to his two cellphones – one for work in the USA, one for work in Dubai – knowing full well they would be used for their forensic investigation. If you will.

Later on, they informed me that I was under arrest and would be transported somewhere. At some stage, I’d face a judge. They put handcuffs on me and escorted me away.

As far as he’s concerned, he had previously journeyed smoothly and his immigration status was openly acknowledged. Yet, his arrest seemed to single him out, giving the impression of being marked or targeted. This feeling of being targeted arose because there appeared to be no justification for it and it felt like he was under scrutiny from multiple angles.

Guobadia, who has been deported previously and violated his visa terms multiple times, suggested that the increased vigilance by the new administration and its policies seems to have intensified. He implied that immigration agents are actively scanning flight records for potential matches on their watchlist, with the intention of apprehending these individuals.

After making a striking claim: ‘He stated that there were two aspects to his allegation. Firstly, he anticipated a disputed divorce, and it wasn’t just one person he was facing but also those pulling the strings behind her. These powerful figures, clearly intent on seeing her succeed, aimed to make their investment in this individual prosper. Consequently, he had a sense of potential meddling.’

According to someone familiar with the situation, it’s completely false that Porsha and Simon were connected to their arrest. It was merely an online joke or meme.

After arriving at the airport, Guobadia was transported to a location where they provided him with a uniform and informed him that he wouldn’t be granted bail, but instead, he would face a court hearing at some point.

At that moment, it suddenly hit me like a thunderbolt: “Oh my goodness, what’s going to transpire next?” I found myself at an unnamed detention center for the night. I had to surrender my usual attire and wear prison garb instead. That’s the ordeal I went through that evening.

Afterward, he was transported to the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia. He stayed there for a period of three months before being freed and returned to his homeland, Nigeria.

During my initial two days at the Stewart Detention Center, I found myself slumbering most of the time. However, a beacon of hope emerged when I was granted a one-hour visit from my dear friends and family – a moment I eagerly anticipated to help me navigate through this new phase of life.

I found that experience incredibly moving since it was the first time I had spoken to them over the phone for quite some time. An officer kindly allowed me to use their phone, which enabled me to contact my house manager. She then reached out to a good friend of mine.

According to Guobadia, the process isn’t like being arrested and instantly allowed to make a call. Instead, it might take some time, and in certain cases, it may even be several days before you can contact your loved ones.

At the detention facility, they told him that some individuals acknowledge his fame. Consequently, they were moving him to a place offering special protection for his safety.

Guobadia declared that he was escorted to a place known as “segregation,” where he was provided with a separate cell. However, he was also given the option to decide if he preferred to remain isolated or mix with the common populace.

He was confined to his cell around the clock, with only one hour each day permitted outside, but this privilege could be taken away if the weather turned bad.

During that time, he acknowledged the reasons behind someone choosing suicide, yet he felt his resilience prevented him from doing so. However, he empathized with individuals who, when placed in specific mental states, begin to comprehend others’ actions, as he explained.

Ultimately, he chose to return to the main group of prisoners, which he characterized as primarily Hispanic males who appeared to have been arrested from construction sites or their places of employment.

Despite the facility being generally tidy, Guobadia noted that the staff seemed underprepared, with a limited number of personnel on hand. Overcrowding was evident, as detainees slept in improvised beds.

According to Guobadia, the reported number of inmates at the facility greatly exceeded its intended capacity, far surpassing the claimed 200 individuals per unit and two people per cell.

Regarding his thoughts on the food, he characterized a standard breakfast as “cereal and milk,” lunch was likened to a “pretend burger” made from imitation meat and an abundance of beans, and dinner might have been spaghetti or tacos accompanied by rice; in each case, the meal included beans.

He expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the meal lacked any kind of nutritional content, explaining further that there was no coffee or tea provided, nor was there clean drinking water, not even bottled water.

It seems that inmates often found humor in a recurring joke, as they perceived ICE agents as being untruthful or evasive when answering questions about their release dates.

During his incarceration, Guobadia mentions that there were no updates provided to him about the advancement of his case, including a brief stint at a medical facility where he fell ill with the flu.

Prior to his scheduled deportation, he learned that he would instead be freed from detention, but only after being confined in a shared cell with fellow prisoners. He alleges that he went without food for 18 consecutive hours during this time.

According to Guobadia’s statement, he aims to reconnect with his kids and plans to visit Dubai, a city where he previously resided.

Following his expulsion, DailyMail.com verified that Guobadia had been removed from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s database as well.

After the news emerged about Guobadia being returned to Nigeria, we made contact with the representatives of Williams for comments on the matter.

According to Us Weekly, Tai Savat shared that Guobadia had recently returned home to Nigeria on a flight, and despite enduring four months in a detention center – his first-ever prison stay – he remains in high spirits.

Caught up in the heart of LA’s continuous immigration rallies, I find myself eagerly expressing Guobadia’s sentiments: contrary to popular belief, he isn’t enraged by President Trump. In fact, there’s a burning desire for a face-to-face conversation with him.

In February, Porsha finally spoke up following her estranged partner, Simon’s, arrest by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

At that particular moment, as per Us Weekly, the entrepreneur was being detained at Stewart Detention Center, which is located in Lumpkin, Georgia.

According to the records kept by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, his current situation was noted as being in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

During the news updates in February, the Real Housewife of Atlanta, currently experiencing a challenging divorce with Guobadia, expressed on her Instagram that the situation was saddening.

She found it saddening to observe her separated spouse making decisions resulting in this situation. Currently, her main focus is advancing with her family. (She wrote)

In 1982, Guobadia moved from Nigeria to the U.S., but he allegedly outstayed his initial visa. This led to a declaration of deportability for him in 1985. Despite this, he re-entered the U.S. in 1986, and it is said that he again overstayed his work visa on this occasion.

The action occurred following President Trump’s decree for extensive deportations of undocumented immigrants, a decision he made earlier in the year, and it has since been implemented as planned.

The order allows for the deportation of undocumented immigrants to their countries of origin. 

As a person who once faced charges for fraud back in 1987 and was subsequently expelled from the country in 1992 following two additional arrests, I found myself back on American soil just a month after my deportation.

His 2016 naturalization attempt was denied.

In 2024, the Atlanta Black Star reported that he had been repeatedly denied residency. 

On the tuesday of February 2024, he joyously commemorated his life spent in America, expressing on Instagram: “Cheers to everyone who’ve triumphed and endured throughout their lives. Keep winning #42yearsLivinginAmerica.

Porsha filed for divorce just days later, after just 15 months of marriage.

In May 2021, the couple got engaged, and they tied the knot in November 2022. However, their divorce proceedings are currently underway.

Last September, Porsha was granted a major legal victory in her ongoing divorce from Simon.

According to People, in the most recent decision related to the case, the court has sided with the reality star, allowing her to dismiss (or “quash”) her ex’s subpoena and the request for a videotaped testimony of her employer, True Entertainment. Additionally, she was granted a motion for a protective order.

Beyond denying Simon’s urgent requests related to discovery, the judge additionally granted Porsha’s legal team’s costs from litigation, which Simon is now required to pay. This decision also ties in with the details of their prenuptial agreement.

According to the documents, Simon claims that his wife’s intention to rejoin reality TV or seek regular employment in the future, if not disclosed earlier, could be considered a failure to share crucial information and a deception, which might make the Prenuptial Agreement invalid.

Additionally, he asserted that Porsha consented to assume the role of a homemaker and wife throughout their marriage, relinquishing her professional ambitions as well. However, the court deemed this arrangement to be invalid.

Based on People’s report, the court determined that the husband’s claim lacked validity because it was common knowledge at the time they entered into the Prenuptial Agreement that the wife was a well-established reality TV star. This fact was not a surprise to the husband.

The main intention outlined in their prenuptial contract is to prevent lengthy and costly legal disputes, which may involve tedious and private information-gathering processes, should a divorce eventuates.

In this case, it’s been established by both parties, under the guidance of skilled lawyers, that the prenuptial agreement at hand was carefully drafted over a year’s time, with full financial disclosures exchanged. This means that potential issues such as fraud, mistakes, misrepresentations, and coercion have been explicitly addressed in various sections of the agreement.

In simpler terms, his main point essentially boils down to what was written in the Prenuptial Agreement, but he did not make that specific argument.

For Porsha, this marks a significant triumph since she has reached the last stage of the divorce process. Given that the court has enforced their prenuptial agreement, she stands to have her legal costs covered by her ex-spouse, ultimately concluding the divorce with financial independence.

Previously in February, after a 15-month marriage, Porsha finally spoke up about her split with Simon, whom she started dating in 2021.

After it was reported about their separation (in court documents made public by People on Thursday), she took a moment to thank her supporters for their encouraging messages and comments that she’s received.

She expressed gratitude for prayers and support through a heartfelt message accompanying a post she shared with over 7.6 million Instagram followers, symbolizing deep emotion with a broken heart emoticon.

In just seven hours, she garnered an impressive 109,925 likes along with countless encouraging remarks. Among these well-wishers were her fellow Real Housewives of Atlanta cast members Kenya Moore, Phaedra Parks, and Cynthia Bailey.

At the end of Season 13, Simon was first introduced on Real Housewives of Atlanta as the spouse of Falynn Pina.

However, the pair went their separate ways after the conclusion of filming.

On May 10, 2021, it was announced that Porsha had become engaged to Simon, who previously dated one of her Real Housewives of Atlanta co-stars, just a month after they started dating.

‘Yes we are crazy in love,’ she captioned a selfie with Guobadia.

We’re making the most of every day, seizing life as it comes. I strive for happiness each morning and evening.

Later on, Simon himself made it official on his social media platform, expressing, “I proposed because we ticked every box for each other and then some.

Porsha has returned for the fourteenth season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, marking her comeback to the series following her exit after season thirteen.

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2025-06-14 01:23