Anthony Joshua made his first social media post since the Dec. 29 crash, which killed two of his best friends

Sean Neumann is a reporter at PEOPLE. He has been working at PEOPLE since 2019. His work has previously appeared in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, ESPN, and more.

Anthony Joshua reacts during the media workout ahead of the Heavyweight fight between Anthony Joshua and Otto Wallin during the Day of Reckoning card at the Press Arena, Kingdom Arena on December 20, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Anthony Joshua.Credit : Richard Pelham/Getty

British boxer Anthony Joshua spoke out for the first time since he was hospitalized from a car crash that killed two of his best friends.

Joshua, 36, was released from the hospital on Dec. 31, two days after the Dec. 29 crash that killed Sina Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele, one of his personal trainers.

The former two-time world heavyweight champion took to Instagram on Sunday, Jan. 4 to share a photo of himself alongside his mother, as well as the mothers of Ghami and Ayodele, according to BBC.

“My brother’s keeper,” Joshua captioned the post alongside a pair of heart emojis.

Joshua was a passenger in a Lexus Jeep that smashed into a stationary truck while traveling along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in Makun, according to local news outlets The Punch, The Daily Sun and The Guardian. The crash took place around 11 a.m. local time on Monday, Dec. 29, while Joshua was reportedly in the area to visit family for the holidays, according to BBC.

Anthony Joshua speaks during the press conference for Jake Paul v Anthony Joshua at The Fillmore Miami Beach on December 17, 2025 in Miami Beach, Florida. (

Anthony Joshua.Megan Briggs/Getty

The crash took place just 10 days after Joshua defeated YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a high-profile match that streamed on Netflix.

BBC reported that Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, who was allegedly behind the wheel of the SUV at the time of the crash, has since been charged with deadly dangerous driving, as well as reckless and negligent driving, driving without due care, and driving without a valid driver’s licence. Kayode, 46, was granted bail and is expected to appear back in court on Jan. 20, according to the outlet.

Kayode was a longstanding member of Joshua’s Nigerian logistics team, according to the London Evening Standard.

Anthony Joshua during a portrait session after his workout ahead of his fight at the weekend on December 20, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Anthony Joshua.Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing via Getty

After the Dec. 29 crash, Lagos’ State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, said in a statement on X that Joshua was “heavy-hearted and full of emotions over the loss of his two close friends.”

BBC reported that the funerals for Ghami and Ayodele took place Sunday at a mosque in London.