Sophia Momodu, entrepreneur and mother to Afrobeats superstar Davido’s child, has candidly discussed the backlash she endured after having their daughter outside of marriage.
Speaking at the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Momodu recounted how, despite her fame, she struggled for years to find her voice amidst intense public scrutiny particularly as the daughter of a pastor.
In a viral video from the event, Momodu described being mocked and stigmatized, emphasizing the weight of cultural expectations placed on women like herself. “I was a pastor’s daughter who got pregnant out of wedlock by a global superstar.
I was mocked; it was crazy. I had to find my strength in the midst of all of that. For the longest time, I did not have a voice. I was famous, popular, but I did not have a voice; it kept getting drowned out by the negativity around my story,” she shared.
Momodu highlighted how, in Nigerian society, it is almost taboo for a pastor’s daughter to have a child outside marriage. She recalled being advised by relatives to stay silent about her experience, as it was considered an inappropriate topic for black women to discuss publicly.
Despite these pressures, Momodu explained that facing adversity eventually inspired her to tell her story. By sharing her journey, she discovered that many other women had experienced similar situations and felt silenced by societal expectations. “Because of that, I have told my story; it was amazing to see that I am not alone. So many women came to me to share it happened to them. People will attempt to silence us, but it is important to tell our stories as women. It matters,” she affirmed.
Davido and Momodu began dating in 2015 and welcomed their daughter, Imade Adeleke, on May 14 of that year. In 2024, Davido filed a motion at the Lagos High Court seeking “unrestricted access” to Imade, to which Momodu responded that she has never denied him access. Previously, in 2023, she revealed plans to change Imade’s surname to hers, stating she had fulfilled both parental roles for her daughter.
