Acclaimed Nigerian author and feminist icon Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has opened up about the backlash she received after it was revealed that she welcomed twins through surrogacy.
In an open conversation with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Adichie spoke candidly about the criticisms that followed the news of her twins’ birth, which she shares with her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, a hospital-based physician.
“My boys are so precious to me. And I hated that anything about them would become politicised. So, on the one hand, I thought, ‘I wish I hadn’t talked about it.’ But on the other hand, there is no way I am going to lie about the process of birthing them,” Adichie said in the interview.
The award-winning novelist, best known for titles like Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah, stressed the importance of honesty and openness about non-traditional paths to motherhood.
She explained that her decision to speak out was rooted in a desire to challenge the shame that often surrounds issues of fertility and alternative reproductive choices in society.
“I am hoping that if anything good comes out of this, it would be that more women are less ashamed of talking about reaching motherhood through non-traditional means. Because our society is so judgemental, and I don’t think that that is good for anybody,” she stated.
Adichie, now a mother of three, also spoke out against the pressures women face when it comes to fertility, including conditions like fibroids, infertility struggles, and delayed childbearing.
“I felt that there were many women who would then be pressured by people saying, ‘Look, Chimamanda is 47, and she had kids at that age; what about you?’ And just in general, I think there is so much shame around issues of fertility that I just think it’s too much of a burden for women,” she stated.
She added, “Women are shamed when they have fibroids, women are shamed when they have issues getting pregnant, and I don’t believe in that sort of shame.”
Ending on a deeply personal note, Adichie affirmed her joy in motherhood:
“My daughter and my babies are the greatest gift I’ve been given. So — zero regrets.”
Watch the video below …
For the first time ever, Chimamanda tells me exclusively why she spoke up about having her twin boys through a surrogate.
“I felt that there were many women who would then be pressured by people saying ‘look Chimamanda is 47 and she had kids at that age, what about you?’.… pic.twitter.com/NySF6fzBLq
— Chude Jideonwo (@Chude) May 1, 2025
Then, Chimamanda talks for the first time about the feedback in some sections of the internet to having her twins through surrogacy.
“My boys are so precious to me,” she says. “And I hated that anything about them would become politicised – so on the one hand I thought ‘I wish… pic.twitter.com/07QrHEmWju
— Chude Jideonwo (@Chude) May 1, 2025
In another Chimamanda super-exclusive, she spoke for the first time in public about dealing with depression – at #WithChude Live!
I thank her for honouring us with this tender truth. ❤️#withChudelive #Oprahsfirstson pic.twitter.com/fPGD0PJWQP
— Chude Jideonwo (@Chude) May 1, 2025
