For years, Sophia Momodu said she watched her own story unfold in public while struggling to make her voice heard.
The entrepreneur has now opened up about the ridicule and stigma she faced after becoming pregnant outside marriage, a situation she said became even more difficult because she was raised as a pastor’s daughter.
Momodu shared the emotional account during a side event at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
She said the pregnancy attracted intense public attention and criticism because of her family background and her relationship with Nigerian music star Davido.
“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,” she said.
Momodu explained that she struggled for years to have her perspective heard.
Although she was already a public figure, she said the negative attention surrounding her story often overshadowed her own voice.
She eventually decided to speak openly about her experience. That move, she said, helped her discover that many other women had faced similar situations.
Momodu recalled that an aunt once contacted her after someone reportedly asked the family to persuade her to remain silent.
She said the experience highlighted the pressure some Black women face when discussing sensitive personal issues.
However, speaking at different forums and on radio programmes gave Momodu an opportunity to connect with women who had gone through similar experiences.
She said several women approached her afterward to share their own stories.
Those encounters strengthened her resolve to continue speaking about her journey and using her platform to encourage others.
Momodu shares daughter Imade Adeleke with Davido, whose real name is David Adeleke. The pair never married.
Their relationship later became the subject of a public co-parenting dispute.
In April 2024, Davido filed a case at the Lagos State High Court seeking joint custody and unrestricted access to Imade. Momodu opposed the application and said she had never denied him access to their daughter.
Davido announced in February 2026 that he was withdrawing the case.
Beyond her personal life, Momodu has developed interests in entrepreneurship and advocacy.
She founded the Precious Jewels Foundation, which focuses on the wellbeing and development of vulnerable women and children. She also runs a fashion and beauty business and has appeared on The Real Housewives of Lagos.
At the UNGA side event, Momodu used her experience to highlight the importance of giving women the freedom to tell their stories.
For her, what once became a source of public ridicule has evolved into a story she now feels determined to tell on her own terms.
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