Why Tiwa Savage Feared “This Boy Has Destroyed Me” After Motherhood Cost Her Major Brand Deals
For many female artists, motherhood is often whispered about as a "career-killer."
Afrobeats icon Tiwa Savage has dismantled the ‘perfect’ celebrity facade, revealing that the 2015 birth of her son, Jamil, initially felt like a ‘death knell’ for her hard-won career.
In a candid sit-down with content creator Korty EO, the 45-year-old superstar opened up about the professional rejection and emotional distance that defined her early years of motherhood.
The singer revealed that she did not experience an immediate bond with her son during the first two years of his life. She described a period of emotional struggle following his birth, citing the physical changes to her body and the professional impact of her pregnancy.
Savage recalled the trauma of seeing her body change and the immediate professional fallout: “When he came… my body didn’t snap back. I looked horrible. I was supposed to do a campaign with Pepsi… and they turned me away. I just thought this boy has destroyed me.”
For many female artists, motherhood is often whispered about as a “career-killer.” Still, Savage stated it plainly while admitting that she struggled to bond with her son, Jamil, for nearly two years, an admission rarely heard in a culture that romanticises immediate maternal bonds.
“Honestly, I didn’t bond with my son for the first year or two,” Savage confessed. “I always wanted a girl. They told me it was a boy, and I started crying.”
However, the performer stated that their relationship has since undergone a complete transformation. She now describes Jamil as her closest friend, asserting that their connection is genuine and exists independently of their public-facing social media presence.
The songbird stated that her parenting is rooted in a desire to break the cycles of “people-pleasing” and heartbreak that she admitted have plagued her own adult relationships. “I always tell him, ‘Your mum suffered oo, make sure you treat any girl like a queen,'” she shared. “At the core of him, I want him to be kind.”
Jamil, now 10, appears in the feature not just as a son, but as his mother’s most vocal advocate. His insight into her career is strikingly mature, urging the woman who once feared he had ended her career to never stop. “Don’t retire. We still need you,” Jamil told her. “Just push yourself to the limit.”
The feature reached an emotional crescendo with an appearance by Jamil’s nanny. A Philippine national who has been with the household for nearly a decade, she wept while describing Savage not as a ‘celebrity’ but as a humble, disciplined employer. “Madame Tiwa is the best employer,” she shared, “I’m still longing to stay with them longer.”
“Madame Tiwa is the best employer,” she said through tears, highlighting Savage’s discipline in raising Jamil. “She never spoils a child… I’m still longing to stay with them longer.”
Savage, who began her solo career in her early thirties, reflected on these personal dynamics as part of a broader discussion on resilience, comparing her ability to overcome personal and professional trauma to a phoenix rising from ashes.
She also revealed that recently took her first-ever solo vacation—a week in the Maldives, without her team or son, a radical act of self-care for a woman who admitted, “I have never even been to a restaurant alone.”
Ultimately, Savage seems to have found peace in the paradox of her name. Having recently taken her first-ever solo vacation to the Maldives—a “radical” act for a woman who admitted to never having even dined alone—she remains defiant. “A phoenix rises out of its ashes,” she said. “I’m still here.”
