Afrobeats star Tiwa Savage has revealed the challenges she faced bonding with her son, Jamil, following his birth in 2015, admitting that she initially wasn’t thrilled to learn she was having a boy.
Speaking in a recent interview with Korty EO, Savage explained that her desire for a daughter, combined with the pressures of postpartum life, including losing a major campaign due to her changed appearance, made her feel as though her son had “destroyed” 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,” she said.
“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.”
Savage added that she is focused on raising Jamil to be a kind and respectful young man, encouraging him to treat women with care, drawing on lessons from her own 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 said.
Jamil, who turned 10 in July 2025, has now become a source of joy for the singer, who remains committed to guiding him into adulthood with strong values despite the inevitable mistakes of growing up.
