Afrobeats superstar Tiwa Savage has revealed that her preference for a girl child led to her struggle to bond with her son, Jamil Balogun, after his birth in 2015.
Speaking on the recent episode of the FlowWithKorty podcast, the 45-year-old singer revealed that discovering her baby’s gender during pregnancy brought her profound disappointment.
She further shared her struggles and the challenges of postpartum life, including losing a major campaign deal due to her changed appearance. Recounting this experience, Tiwa Savage said it made her feel like her son had “destroyed” her career. She linked a part of her emotional distance to the drastic changes in her body, which she felt negatively impacted her career.
“Honestly, I didn’t bond with my son for the first year or two. I always wanted a girl. They told me it was a boy, and I started crying.
“So, when he came he was always crying and my body didn’t snap back. I looked horrible. I was supposed to do a campaign with Pepsi at the time and they turned me away. And I just thought this boy has destroyed me. But now, he is my best friend,” Tiwa Savage said.
The singer, who was married to talent manager Tunji ‘TeeBillz’ Balogun from 2013 to 2018, welcomed Jamil in 2015.
According to her, she is also focused on raising Jamil to be a kind and respectful man, advising him to treat women with care and respect, because of how she suffered and her sad experiences in past relationships.
“I always tell him, your mum suffered oo, make sure you treat any girl like a queen. It is very important for me to raise him as a good man. He is going to make mistakes, he is not perfect. But at the core of him, I want him to be kind,” she added.
In the emotional interview, Tiwa Savage also revealed that aside from her late lover, she has been unlucky in her other relationships.
“There is hardly any relationship I would look back at and see anything positive. They are all d***! Actually, there is one, but he passed away. May his soul rest in peace. He was incredible,” she said.
