Sophia Momodu, Nigerian socialite and mother of one, has opened up about the stigma, ridicule and silence she endured after becoming pregnant out of wedlock by a global superstar.
Momodu made the revelation while speaking at Columbia University in New York ahead of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week, where she reflected on her personal journey and the societal pressures she faced as a Nigerian woman.
She said being the daughter of a pastor made the experience particularly difficult, given the strong stigma attached to pregnancy outside marriage in many Nigerian communities.
“I am a pastor’s daughter who got pregnant out of wedlock by a global superstar. And I was mocked. It was crazy,” Momodu said.
According to her, the public attention surrounding the circumstances of her pregnancy often overshadowed her own identity and prevented her from having a voice.
“And I had to find my strength in the midst of all of that. And for the longest time, I didn’t have a voice. I was famous, I was popular, but I didn’t have a voice,” she added.
Momodu said the negativity surrounding her experience became so overwhelming that her own perspective was largely drowned out, leaving her struggling to tell her story on her own terms.
She also recalled being advised by an aunt to remain silent because the issue was viewed as something Black women were not expected to discuss publicly.
However, speaking about her experience on international platforms eventually changed her perspective.
Momodu said women from different backgrounds began reaching out to her to share similar experiences, helping her realise that the challenges she faced were not unique.
