“I was mocked” — Sophia Momodu recounts stigma after pregnancy out of wedlock

Entrepreneur Sophia Momodu has opened up about the stigma and backlash she faced after becoming pregnant out of wedlock as a pastor’s daughter.

Momodu spoke during a side panel at the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where she reflected on her experience and how she eventually found the courage to share her story publicly.

The mother of Davido’s first child said the experience was particularly difficult because of the expectations placed on a pastor’s daughter in Nigerian society.

Sophia Momodu speaks on painful experience

Momodu said she was mocked after becoming pregnant by the Afrobeats star and struggled for years to have her own voice heard amid the public attention surrounding the situation.

She said, “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.”

According to her, hearing other women share similar experiences eventually encouraged her to speak openly about her own story.

She added, “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.’”

Momodu says she will keep telling her story

Momodu said she had previously been advised to remain silent about the experience, but speaking at different forums helped her realise that many women had gone through similar situations.

She said the opportunity to share 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 and have had a public co-parenting dispute over access to their daughter.

In April 2024, Davido filed a suit at the Lagos State High Court seeking joint custody and unrestricted access to Imade, while Momodu opposed the application.

Watch the video below…