Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has addressed public reactions following her revelation that she welcomed twin boys via surrogacy in April 2024.
In a candid interview with Chude, the acclaimed Nigerian author explained her decision to keep the birth private, emphasizing her desire to protect her children’s privacy.
She noted that the intense curiosity about her personal life, particularly in Nigeria, influenced her choice to maintain discretion.
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 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.
“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.
“But, you know, my daughter and my babies are the greatest gift I’ve been given, so ZERO REGRETS.”
Adichie, known for her works like Americanah and Half of a Yellow Sun, has consistently kept her personal life out of the public eye, including her marriage to physician Ivara Esege in 2009. She expressed that while she’s comfortable with her children being mentioned, she prefers that public discussions not center around them.
