Celebrated Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has responded to the reactions surrounding her recent revelation that she welcomed twin sons through surrogacy.
In a candid conversation with media personality Chude Jideonwo on With Chude Live, Adichie shared her reasons for being open about the surrogacy process and addressed the controversy that followed.
Responding to critics who argue that surrogacy is dehumanising—claiming it reduces a woman’s body to something that can be rented—Adichie acknowledged that, while surrogacy can be misused, there are ethical ways to approach it.
She also pointed out the inconsistency in some of the criticisms:
“The same people who say surrogacy is wrong are often the ones who argue that a woman should have autonomy over her body. That’s a contradiction.”
Reflecting on the backlash, she said:
“My boys are so precious to me. And I hated that anything about them would become politicised. On one hand, I thought, ‘I wish I hadn’t talked about it.’ But on the other hand, there’s no way I am going to lie.”
Adichie expressed hope that her openness will encourage other women to feel less ashamed of choosing motherhood through non-traditional means.
“Our society is so judgmental, and I don’t think that’s good for anyone,” she said. “But my daughter and my babies are the greatest gift I’ve been given—so ZERO REGRETS.”