In a recent interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, the winner of Big Brother Naija ‘Level Up,’ Ijeoma Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, has stirred up a significant conversation with her candid comments about abortion.
Phyna boldly asserted that virtually every woman has undergone one or two abortions in their lifetime. She disclosed this during her discussion about her own experience with abortion, particularly when she was younger. Phyna clarified that she never intentionally gave an interview discussing abortion.
According to her, the abortion statement was made during her time in the BBN house while conversing with fellow housemates.
When I came out of the Big Brother house, everybody seemed eager to chase fame and garner attention. Everyone wanted to make headlines. While I was in the house, we had various discussions, and one day the topic of abortion came up. Who said what, and who said it, only those who were present know the truth, right?
There’s hardly any woman who can honestly claim she hasn’t faced such a situation at least once or twice in her life. Do you understand? I didn’t deliberately provide that interview to anyone. It was a conversation that took place within the confines of the house, and I wasn’t the sole contributor to the discussion. People shared their perspectives, and I don’t recall what led to us talking about it that day. So, I had already discussed it on television. The interview came up later over the phone after I left the house.
I was quite surprised when I saw it published as news. I immediately informed my manager, and we considered addressing it seriously. Everyone knows how people can talk, especially when you’ve just stepped into the limelight. It’s all about building your brand. You wouldn’t want to tarnish your image. You see, when I left the house, I went through a lot. A lot was happening around me, but I did not give that interview. It was based on what someone had watched on television.”
Earlier this year, Phyna, in an interview with Punch Newspaper, had also opened up about her experiences with abortion. The Edo-State star had previously admitted to having undergone abortions during an argument with a rival troll.
During the interview, Phyna explained why she made the difficult choice to terminate her pregnancies at the ages of 19 and 24. She revealed that during her first pregnancy, she was still young and coming from a financially disadvantaged background, making it impossible for her to raise a child. As for her second abortion, it was a decision she had to make due to being in a toxic relationship.
