Veteran Nollywood actress Dupe Jaiyesimi recently shared her deeply personal journey of facing childlessness at the age of 60. In an emotional interview on the ‘Talk to B’ podcast, she recounted the heartache of losing her first pregnancy shortly after her wedding in 1988.
She said, “I was once pregnant, but the scan showed that the baby was growing outside of the womb. After a few weeks, I lost the pregnancy.”
The loss of her baby was further compounded by betrayal in her marriage when her then-husband brought another woman who was pregnant with his child into their home.
She said, “After I lost the pregnancy, my husband brought another woman home, and she was already expecting his baby. I had no choice but to walk away, and since then, I have remained single.”
Despite numerous medical interventions, including two unsuccessful rounds of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Jaiyesimi has been unable to conceive. She also considered adoption but was discouraged by her late mother.
Her story also sheds light on the stigma surrounding childlessness in many cultures, as well as the emotional and financial toll of fertility treatments. It’s heartbreaking that she faced discouragement from adopting, as many see it as a beautiful way to embrace motherhood.
