Veteran Nollywood Yoruba actress Dupe Jaiyesimi has opened up about her deeply personal struggle with childlessness and her enduring hope of becoming a mother, even at the age of 60.
During an emotionally raw interview on actress Biola Adebayo’s podcast, Jaiyesimi shared the painful experiences that have shaped her journey, shedding light on the heartbreak and resilience that have defined her life.
Her story, marked by loss, betrayal, and unwavering hope, resonated with many who have faced similar challenges in their personal lives.
Jaiyesimi recounted the devastating moment when she lost her pregnancy due to an ectopic pregnancy, a condition where the fetus develops outside the womb, making it impossible for the pregnancy to progress.
She recalled the painful experience of receiving the heartbreaking diagnosis during a scan and the grief that followed the inevitable loss of her unborn child.
“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,” she said. For her, this was not just a medical loss—it was the crushing of a dream she had long cherished.
The sorrow of losing her pregnancy was compounded by an even deeper wound—betrayal in her marriage. In the midst of mourning her unborn child, Jaiyesimi was confronted with the shocking reality that her then-husband had brought another woman into their home, and she was already expecting his child.
Faced with this painful betrayal, she made the heartbreaking decision to walk away from her marriage. “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,” she shared.
The pain of that chapter in her life left her emotionally scarred, but she chose self-respect over staying in a situation that would only deepen her wounds.
Determined to fulfill her dream of motherhood, Jaiyesimi turned to medical science, undergoing two rounds of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). However, both attempts ended in disappointment, leaving her emotionally and physically drained.
As she struggled with the reality of childlessness, she briefly considered adoption as an alternative path to motherhood. Yet, even this option was met with resistance from her late mother, who discouraged her from raising a child she had not birthed.
“I attempted IVF twice, but it failed,” she admitted. “At a point, I thought of adopting, but my mother warned me not to bring any child I didn’t conceive into my life.”
Despite this, the longing for a child has never faded, and the absence of children to share in the joy of her 60th birthday remains a profound sorrow in her life.
However, despite all the hardships, Jaiyesimi refuses to give up hope. For her, the journey is not over as long as she is still alive. She continues to hold on to the belief that she may one day experience the joy of motherhood in some form.
“As long as there is life, there is hope,” she said with quiet determination. “I still believe I can have my own child.” Her unwavering faith in the possibility of a miracle is a testament to her strength, resilience, and refusal to let life’s hardships define her future.
