For years, Sophia Momodu’s public identity has often been linked to one thing: being Davido’s first baby mama and the mother of his first child, Imade. But behind that familiar description is a story Sophia says was shaped by shame, public judgment and years of feeling unable to speak for herself.
On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Sophia opened up about that experience while speaking at a panel in New York around the 81st United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week. She reflected on becoming pregnant outside marriage, the particular pressure of being a pastor’s daughter and how the experience eventually pushed her to find her voice.
Her revelation offered a different perspective on a chapter of her life that had largely been discussed through the lens of her relationship with Davido.
The Pregnancy That Changed Sophia’s Life
Sophia’s relationship with Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, resulted in the birth of their daughter, Imade Adeleke, on May 14, 2015.
Imade is Davido’s first child and Sophia’s only child. At the time, Sophia was not married to Davido, making her pregnancy a particularly sensitive issue within the Nigerian social and religious environment she came from. More than 11 years later, Sophia has now spoken openly about the emotional effect of that experience. In her words:
“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.”
For Sophia, the circumstances went beyond becoming a mother. She said the public reaction to her pregnancy became so overwhelming that it affected her ability to speak for herself.
Sophia explained that being well known did not necessarily mean that she felt heard. She continued:
“And for the longest time, I didn’t have a voice. I was famous, I was popular, but I didn’t have a voice.”
According to her, the negativity surrounding the pregnancy and the story that developed around it often became louder than her own perspective. Sophia added:
“It kept getting drowned out by whatever the negativity was around that story.”
Her comments point to the difference between being publicly visible and actually having control over one’s own story. Sophia was already a public figure, but she said the attention surrounding her pregnancy meant that other people’s opinions often dominated the conversation.
Why Being A Pastor’s Daughter Made It Harder
Sophia Momodu also spoke about the expectations attached to her family background. In her words:
“If you’re a 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.”
The pregnancy therefore carried an added layer of stigma for her. Rather than simply being a young woman becoming a mother outside marriage, Sophia felt that she was also being judged against the expectations attached to being the daughter of a pastor.
She said she wanted people to understand the story beyond the headlines and public commentary.
The Aunt Who Told Her To Keep Quiet
One of the most revealing parts of Sophia’s account was her recollection of being encouraged to remain silent. She said an aunt contacted her after a friend had approached the aunt about the situation. Sophia recalled:
“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.”
The advice reinforced what Sophia says she had already experienced, which was the pressure to keep a difficult and potentially embarrassing part of her life private.
But eventually, she chose to do the opposite. Rather than allowing the experience to remain something she could not discuss, Sophia began speaking about it publicly.
From Silence To Telling Her Story
Sophia said another woman’s story helped give her the courage and platform to tell her own. She expressed gratitude to Stephanie, whose story she said helped create an opening for her to speak about her own experience.
“I felt like that put fire in me. I just kept going,” she said.
She subsequently began sharing her experience on different platforms, including Forbes and radio in South Africa. The response surprised her. Sophia said women approached her after hearing her speak and revealed that they had gone through similar experiences. She said:
“And 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.’”
For someone who had spent years feeling that she could not speak openly about her experience, those encounters appeared to give her a different understanding of her story.
It was no longer only about what had happened to her. It had become an experience through which other women could also recognise themselves.
From Davido’s Baby Mama To A Story Of Her Own
Sophia’s connection to afrobeats singer Davido has remained an important part of her public life. After the birth of Imade in 2015, the former couple’s relationship and co-parenting arrangement continued to attract public attention. Their disagreements over custody and access to their daughter eventually became a legal matter.
In April 2024, Davido filed a case at the Lagos State High Court seeking joint custody and unrestricted access to Imade. He later withdrew the suit in February 2026.
But Sophia’s latest revelation was not primarily about the legal battle or her relationship with Davido. Instead, she focused on what it felt like to become a mother outside marriage while carrying the additional identity of being a pastor’s daughter.
A New Chapter On An International Stage
Sophia’s appearance came as she participated in events surrounding the 81st UN General Assembly in New York.
The UN’s official schedule places the General Debate of the 81st session between September 22 and 26, with an additional sitting on September 28. High-Level Week brings world leaders and other participants to New York for discussions on global issues.
Sophia had announced ahead of the event that she would attend the General Assembly as a delegate. Her appearance provided a striking contrast to the period she described in her testimony. The woman who once felt she had no voice because of the negativity surrounding her pregnancy was now speaking about that same experience on an international platform.
Finding Strength In A Story She Once Struggled To Tell
Sophia’s latest revelation does not erase the controversy or public attention that surrounded the birth of Imade. Instead, it adds another layer to a story Nigerians have followed for more than a decade. She has described a period when being a pastor’s daughter, becoming pregnant outside marriage and having a child with a global superstar made her the subject of mockery.
She also described the years when the noise around the story made it difficult for her own voice to be heard. But she now says sharing her experience has shown her that she was never alone.
“I’m grateful for the platform, I’m grateful to be able to tell my story,” she said, adding that because of Stephanie and the women who shared their experiences with her, she does not think she will stop telling it.
For Sophia Momodu, the story that once made her feel silenced has gradually become one she is choosing to tell for herself.
