Helen Paul Recounts Stigma Of Being Tagged ‘A Child Born Out Of Rape’ And How She Overcame It
Nigerian Comedian and Professor, Helen Paul has shared her heartbreaking childhood story which centers on her being born out of rape.
Speaking at a recent event, the 45-year-old mother of three also talked about how she overcame the societal stigma she faced while growing up.
Recall that Helen had a few years ago revealed that she was born out of rape (Read here). In the recent viral clip, Helen revealed that her mother got pregnant with her after being raped.
Recounting how she went to live with her grandmother after she was born, the comedienne recalled not being shown love by her mother’s family members. She said some family members even referred to her as a “bastard” who would not achieve anything good in life.
According to her, those who gave her grandmother money would always tell the woman to use the money for herself and not for Helen, who was born out of rape.
She also recalled how her grandmother told her to ensure she becomes successful as no one will look towards her if she’s nothing.
Recounting how she got her name “Helen”, she disclosed that it was a cleric who advised her mother to give her the name of the first person that showed her mercy after her daughter was born.
Speaking about how she got her surname (Paul), Helen said her aunties asked her grandmother not to give her their family name.
She further revealed that a man eventually asked them to give her his name. Helen Paul has now moved on from all she faced, to becoming a successful comedian in Nigeria and a Professor in the United States.
ALSO SEE: “My family thought I’d drop out of school” – Helen Paul’s Story Will Persuade You Never To Give Up
In her words:
“Some of us can’t take rejection. Some of us don’t know that our words can make someone feel rejected forever but it worked for me differently.
“I was born out of rape and I grew up with my grandmother, where everyone in the area called me a bastard. So I grew up hearing that I’m a bastard.
“When my aunties come to give grandma money for feeding, they will say ‘Don’t use this money to take care of one bastard child, use it to take care of yourself and buy your medicine’.
“Once they leave, mama would turn to me and speak in pidgin ‘you don hear wetin dem aunty dem dey talk, na so this world be o. Na people wey suppose be your mama blood be that oh but dem don tell you who you be. If you like, grow up, forget yourself, say if person no do well, nobody they celebrate ham’.
“But I realize that anytime I offended Mama, she would not want to touch me because they have warned Mama not to beat me. So you think a child looking at different talk will grow up with love?
“But today, I am a comedian in Nigeria and a professor in the United States.”