In her recently released memoir, “I Am Not Yvonne Nelson”, Yvonne Nelson, the award-winning actress and entrepreneur opens up about her decision to terminate a pregnancy with renowned rapper Sarkodie due to his uncertain future and existing commitments.
Known for her iconic roles in Princess Tyra, Fix Us and House Of Gold, Nelson tells it all — revealing that she became pregnant with the Tema-based rapper in 2010.
The actress recalls the moment with vivid detail, stating, “I had gone for a pregnancy test to confirm what becomes the most obvious conclusion for a sexually active young woman who misses her monthly flow. I was in the company of Karen. And when the test result was ready, I wasn’t strong enough to open it. She did and declared the verdict. Charlie, it dey there!”
Nelson narrates the traumatic incident as one of her most regrettable mistakes, sharing her emotions and thought process throughout the ordeal.
She reveals that upon receiving the positive pregnancy test result, she confided in Sarkodie, who confessed that he was not prepared to become a father.
READ MORE: Medikal makes headlines with GHC100,000 purchase of Yvonne Nelson’s memoir “I Am Not Yvonne Nelson”
“On an ordinary day, I would have laughed out loud and that would trigger a string of jolly conversations and jokes. But this was no laughing matter. It was a grim piece of information that was capable of turning my world upside down. I wasn’t the only one responsible for the situation, so I called the man whose potent seed had germinated in me. His name is Michael Owusu Addo, a renowned Ghanaian musician who is better known as Sarkodie.“
The “fatherless” Yvonne Nelson
says she became pregnant with a Tema-based rapper in 2010. This man would become one of Ghana’s biggest musicians, but, at the time, his SUCCESS was not guaranteed. He said he was not prepared for a child. #IAmNotYvonneNelson pic.twitter.com/s1hg62OmEF— Manasseh Azure Awuni (@Manasseh_Azure) June 19, 2023
At the time, Sarkodie’s success was far from guaranteed, and he faced the challenges of living with his mother.
“Sarkodie was a budding musician with the potential to become one of the biggest artists in Ghana and beyond. At the time, however, the future looked uncertain, and his way through the maze of life still appeared too foggy to predict. Success was not guaranteed. He was still living with his mother and was not ready to carry a burden while he was being carried by his mother,” she pointed out
Recognizing the potential impact of a child on Sarkodie’s upward climb, Nelson grappled with a difficult choice.
At the time, their relationship was not deeply serious, but Nelson acknowledges her attraction to individuals in the music industry and the connection she felt with Sarkodie.
“I wouldn’t call what had developed between us a serious relationship. I gravitated toward people in the music industry. For the longest time in my life, music was my getaway from all the unpleasant things life threw at me. So, I liked his talent. We started talking and got close. Closer,” she penned.
The decision to terminate the pregnancy weighed heavily on Nelson’s heart, as she reflected on her own experience of growing up without a father figure.
She shared, “The first thing that hit me when he said no to keeping the pregnancy was my own life. I had grown up without a father in my life. I had often been reminded of how I had been borne by mistake.”
Nelson’s desire to spare her child the pain and shame she endured as a fatherless daughter shaped her ultimate choice.
“I was still wondering if the man whose name I bore was my father. How was I going to bring another human being into this world to live like me, someone whose father would reject him or her as Mr. Nelson had rejected me? If there was a way to spare someone else the trauma I was contending with, why would I reject that option, especially when I was not,”
The actress reveals that she succeeded in undergoing the abortion but refers to it as one of the most regrettable mistakes of her life. In hindsight, Nelson expressed a bittersweet sentiment, stating, “If the clock of life could be rewound to my younger self, I would keep it.”