Entrepreneur recounts ridicule, pressure and struggle to find her voice as a pastor’s daughter
Entrepreneur Sophia Momodu has recounted the ridicule, social stigma and pressure she experienced after becoming pregnant outside marriage, saying the experience forced her to find her voice amid intense public scrutiny.
Momodu shared the experience while speaking on a side panel at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. A video from the discussion was later shared on her Instagram Story on Tuesday.
Reflecting on the period, Momodu said her background as the daughter of a pastor made the experience particularly difficult because of the expectations and social attitudes surrounding pregnancy outside marriage in Nigerian society.
“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.
According to the entrepreneur, although she was already a recognisable public figure, the controversy surrounding her relationship and pregnancy made it difficult for her to establish her own voice.
“And for the longest time, I didn’t have a voice. I was famous, I was popular, but I didn’t have a voice. It kept getting drowned out by whatever negativity was around that story,” she said.
Momodu said the stigma was heightened by the expectations placed on women, particularly those from religious families.
“If you’re Nigerian and you’re here, you know that it’s almost a taboo to be a pastor’s daughter and have a child out of wedlock,” Momodu added.
She explained that, over time, she became more comfortable discussing her experience publicly. In doing so, she said, she began to realise that her story was not unique and that many other women had faced similar experiences.
Momodu also recalled an incident in which an aunt contacted her after allegedly being approached by someone who wanted her to remain silent about the matter.
“And then, an aunt called me one day and said a friend of hers had called her to talk to me to please keep quiet, because this is not a topic that we are allowed to talk about as Black women,” she said.
Rather than allowing the pressure to silence her permanently, Momodu said sharing her experience at various forums, including events in South Africa, helped her recognise the importance of speaking openly about issues that women often experience privately.
She said several women subsequently approached her to share their own stories, reinforcing her decision to continue using her platform to discuss her experience.
The entrepreneur expressed gratitude for the opportunity to tell her story and for the women who have encouraged her to keep speaking.
“I’m just grateful for the platform, I’m grateful to be able to tell my story, and because of people like Stephanie and these amazing women on this panel, I don’t think I would ever stop telling my story,” she said.
Relationship with Davido
Momodu and Nigerian singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, welcomed their daughter, Imade Adeleke, on May 14, 2015.
Their relationship attracted significant public attention, particularly because of the singer’s profile and the circumstances surrounding the birth of their daughter. DNA testing subsequently confirmed Davido as Imade’s biological father.
The pair were involved intermittently before their relationship ended in 2022. They were never married.
Momodu’s latest remarks add to her previous public discussions about motherhood, relationships, social expectations and the challenges of navigating highly publicised personal experiences.
Her comments at the UNGA side panel focused on the wider issue of stigma and the importance of creating spaces where women can speak openly about experiences that are often treated as taboo.