David Adeleke, widely known as one of Nigeria's, indeed Africa's, most famous celebrities, has navigated through fame
amidst various scandals and controversies.
Known affectionately as Davido, the pop star has had his share of disagreements with Sophia Momodu, who is the mother of his eldest child, Imade.
Recently, the Nigerian populace was taken aback when, earlier this week, renowned singer Tiwa Savage filed a petition. She alleged that Davido was targeting her due to her close relationship with Sophia.
Following this, Sophia, represented by Punuka Attorneys and Solicitors, issued a legal warning to the artist behind 'Feel.' This action was in response to alleged threats to her safety, as well as accusations of cyberbullying and harassment.
Sophia Momodu sent a "cease and desist" letter to Davido, accusing him of making defamatory statements and promoting negative articles about her. She noted that despite previous warnings, the singer continued to harm her reputation online.
The history of Davido and Sophia's relationship has been marked by various disputes. In January 2016, when their daughter Imade was just seven months old, Sophia and her uncle, media figure Dele Momodu, accused Davido and his family of trying to illegally take Imade to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, without Sophia’s consent.
This accusation led to a public scandal, after which Imade was returned to her mother. Davido, at the time, alleged that Sophia was making excessive financial demands from him.
Davido publicly criticized Sophia’s parenting, accusing her of neglecting Imade for a nightlife filled with clubbing and substance abuse, neglecting Imade in the process. He claimed that Imade's health issues were due to exposure to second-hand marijuana smoke and tainted breast milk.
After this episode, Davido and Sophia appeared to reconcile for a while. However, in 2020, this calm was disrupted. Reports surfaced that Davido took Sophia on a trip to Ghana, which he denied on Instagram, explaining that he only shared a flight with her and Imade due to a coinciding event in Ghana. He expressed concern about the impact of these rumors on his then-fiancée, Chioma.
In response, Sophia insisted she didn't ask for a lift. On Davido's 30th birthday in November 2022, Sophia faced criticism for sharing a birthday letter from Imade, which included a tribute to Davido’s late son, Ifeanyi.
In June 2023, Sophia claimed Davido was neglecting his fatherly duties, considering a change of Imade’s last name since she felt she was fulfilling both parental roles.
A month prior, Sophia was criticized online for allegedly preventing Davido from seeing Imade, linked to his refusal to meet certain demands. Blogger Tunde Ednut highlighted the emotional toll on both Davido and Imade, mentioning Sophia’s demand for two years of unpaid nanny fees, amounting to around $8,000 per month, to be paid through her lawyers. Ednut urged a speedy resolution for the sake of the child involved.
