Entrepreneur Sophia Momodu has opened up about the stigma and public backlash she experienced after becoming pregnant out of wedlock for Afrobeats star Davido.
Momodu said she was mocked and she struggled to find her voice amid the attention surrounding the situation.
She shared the experience during a side panel at the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where she reflected on the challenges she faced as a pastor’s daughter and how she eventually found the courage to tell her story publicly.
Momodu said the experience was particularly difficult because of the expectations attached to being a pastor’s daughter in Nigerian society.
According to her, becoming pregnant outside marriage placed her under intense scrutiny, while the public nature of her relationship with Davido made it harder for her to deal with the situation privately.
“This is my life story. I am a pastor’s daughter who got pregnant out of wedlock by a global superstar. And I was mocked. It was crazy. And I had to find my strength in the midst of all of that,” she said.
The entrepreneur explained that hearing other women speak about similar experiences eventually encouraged her to become more open about her own journey.
“It was just amazing to see that I was not alone. There were so many women that came to me and said, ‘Listen, it happened to me too,’” she said.
She revealed that she had previously been advised to remain silent about the experience. However, speaking at different forums gradually changed her perspective and helped her recognise that sharing her experience could provide a voice for other women who had gone through similar circumstances.
She said the opportunity to speak publicly about her experience had given her a platform to own her narrative and continue advocating for women.
Momodu and Davido welcomed their daughter, Imade Adeleke, on May 14, 2015. The pair never married.
