Award-winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie has spoken about the criticism she faced after announcing she had twins through surrogacy.
Surrogacy is a method of having a child in which a woman, known as a surrogate, carries and gives birth to a baby on behalf of another person or couple, who will become the child’s legal parent(s).
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In February, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the author told The Guardian UK she kept the birth of her twin sons private to protect them.
The mother of three shared her story as a guest at the recently concluded maiden edition of the ‘#WithChude Live’ concert, an event hosted by award-winning storyteller and media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo.
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During one of the sessions, Ms Adichie broke barriers by discussing surrogacy, a topic often kept behind closed doors.
The 47-year-old maintained that she chose to speak openly about her surrogacy journey to help more women feel less stigmatised about becoming mothers through non-traditional means.
Speaking at the event about the challenges of balancing motherhood and career, Ms Adichie said: “I want more women to feel less ashamed of talking about reaching motherhood through non-traditional means. What I said about having my twins through surrogacy is true because there are some things you simply can’t hide. You can’t hide the existence of two perfect human beings. People got carried away with the idea that I’m 47 and have babies. But I don’t lie about things that could have consequences for others.
“I felt many women might be pressured and told, ‘Look, she’s 47 and has twins—what about you? Generally, there’s so much shame around fertility issues, and I think it’s too much of a burden for women. Women feel ashamed when they have fibroids or struggle to get pregnant. I don’t believe in that kind of shame. Some viewers even said I looked fantastic after just having a baby, and I couldn’t say thank you—because it wasn’t true. I said they were born via surrogacy. I heard there was a bit of noise about that.”
Zero regret
Additionally, the Enugu-born writer stated that despite the backlash, she has no regrets about revealing how she welcomed her twins, emphasising that the decision was both personal and fulfilling.
The author of ‘Purple Hibiscus’ further noted that her announcement sparked controversy because many believe ‘it’s wrong to rent a woman’s body.’
“They argued that it’s dehumanising, I think it can be, but I think it matters how it’s done, and I think it can be done ethically and also the same people we say women can do whatever they want with their body, and there’s a contradiction there. I think that’s what the noise is all about, and my boys are so precious to me. And I hated that anything about them would become politicised, so on the one hand, I wish I hadn’t talked about it, but on the other hand, there is no way I am going to lie about them that I have babies I didn’t birth myself. I think it’s wrong.
I hope that if anything good comes out of this, more women will be less ashamed of talking about reaching motherhood through non-traditional means. I think other women have babies through surrogacy, or people who adopt babies will go and hide for nine months because our society is judgmental, and I don’t think that that is good for anybody. But, you know, my daughter and my babies are the greatest gift I’ve been given, so zero regrets”, said the author of ‘The Danger of a Single Story’.
Falz
Also at the event, singer Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana spoke about balancing entertainment and a healthy love life.
“It’s incredibly tough to have a healthy love life and be in entertainment”, he said.
The singer, a lawyer, spoke about his personal life and relationships.
“I’ve never been heartbroken—because if you don’t put your feet in water, you can’t drown. I didn’t offer my heart fully, though I gave a little of it.
“I’ve never told anyone, ‘I love you’ in a romantic way—and that’s not sad. It’s not because I lack emotion. I’ve felt deep affection and truly liked someone, but I’ve never been in love to that extent.”
Panel discussion
In addition to Falz, Akindele, and Adichie, the maiden edition of‘ #WithChude Live’ brought together diverse people from entertainment, media, and activism to explore themes of vulnerability, resilience, and personal growth.
Held at The Palms Mall, Oniru, Lagos, the evening united influential figures across various sectors and featured raw, unscripted conversations covering everything from childhood struggles to pivotal career moments.
Gospel singer Moses Bliss, singer Teni, filmmaker Ruth Kadiri, content creator Hauwa Lawal, and media personality Bukunmi ‘Kiekie’ Adeaga-Ilori, among others, were panellists at the occasion and shared personal stories.
They lit the stage with touching stories that made the audience cry, laugh, and clap loudly.
During the panel discussion, content creators Kiekie, Maryam ‘Taaooma’ Apaokagi, and singer Teni shared personal stories about finding their true selves and staying real.
Their stories made the audience laugh, nod in agreement, and sit quietly in reflection.
At the same time, Kadiri, Lawal, and Moses Bliss shared touching stories about faith, finding purpose, and caring for their mental health.
Their words gave the audience a new understanding of how much strength it takes to live honestly in the public eye.
Mr Jideonwo hosts WithChude.com, a subscription-based podcast and video streaming platform that features African films, series, podcasts, documentaries, interviews, events, and blogs that aim to strengthen the mind, heart, and spirit.
