Anthony Joshua Shares Powerful Message In First Words Since Tragic Car Crash Killed His Two Friends

Two-time former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has shared his first words since being involved in a fatal car crash that killed two of his closest friends and team members.

Anthony Joshua has been a topic of concern over the last week, and fans have now taken to Instagram to show their love and support for the athlete as he navigates such unimaginable losses.

According to The Blast, Joshua was involved in a fatal car crash that killed two of his best friends and trainers, Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele.

On Instagram, Joshua shared an image of himself alongside his mother. Also in the picture were the mothers of Ghami and Ayodele.

"My brother's keeper," he captioned the photo, seemingly hinting at protecting his friends' loved ones as long as he's here.

"[Praying] for you and everyone touched by this tragic loss," someone wrote. "Survived for a reason. Their legacy lives on through you. 'Be strong and courageous... for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.' - Joshua 1:9. Sending love and prayers to their families," another user added.

Joshua was involved in a devastating car crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, one of the busiest roadways in Nigeria, on December 29, 2025.

Ten days before the crash, Joshua had just defeated Jake Paul in a thriller fight livestreamed on Netflix.

CBS News confirmed that Joshua sustained minor injuries and was later released from a local hospital on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

In early January 2026, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, the driver of the car involved in the fatal crash, was charged with dangerous and reckless driving in southwestern Ogun, according to a report from the AP.

Kayode had been in custody since Thursday, January 1; however, he was granted bail set at 5 million naira ($3,480).

"He was remanded pending when he meets his bail condition," a police spokesperson told the AP. Kayode will return to court on January 20 for trial.

Days before the unfortunate car crash, Joshua had a highly publicized fight with internet personality Jake Paul. The event was streamed live on Netflix and consisted of five long rounds of back-and-forth jabs before Paul was knocked out in the sixth.

Footage of the fight has been shared on social media, and the clip garnering the most attention is the moment when Joshua threw a fierce right jab that sent Paul to the floor.

After a moment, Paul looked at the audience, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, clearly indicating that Joshua had landed a significant blow on the former Disney Channel actor.

Weeks before the fight, Paul teased the big moment, implying that he'd have much more to bring to the table than people were giving him credit for. "This isn’t an AI simulation. This is Judgment Day. A professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime," he said.

"When I beat Anthony Joshua, every doubt disappears, and no one can deny me the opportunity to fight for a world title," he continued. "To all my haters, this is what you wanted."

Following the bout, Joshua spoke with reporters about his performance, explaining that while it wasn't his best, he got the job done. He also gave credit to Paul, saying that it "takes a real man" to square up against him in a ring. "But he came up against a real fighter tonight," he said.

Joshua teased that he was already prepared for the outcome of the fight, saying, "I did say to Jake, 'What's going to happen is I'm going to see a time when I'm going to take your soul, and you're either going to give up or get knocked out.'"

In addition to receiving his first loss by knockout, Paul also suffered a broken jaw in two places. While he didn't speak much about his injuries, Paul opened up about the fight for the first time on his brother's "Impaulsive" podcast, claiming the knockout was all "mental."

"I wish I had more than three weeks to prepare, put on more muscle," he also added. "Sit there and hit him. I should have gone to altitude to train, that was my biggest mistake."