I grew up being called a bastard, Dr Helen Paul opens up on her childhood stigma
Popular Nigerian comedian, Dr Helen Paul, has opened up on her childhood experience, particularly growing up being called a bastard.
Paul narrated that she was a product of rape which made even family members dissociate themselves from her.
She further narrated that the stigmatization was much to the extent that her aunties didn’t allow her to bear her maternal surname because they wouldn’t want to have anything to do with her.
The Doctor of Theatre Arts in a widely circulated video on social media, revealed that she grew up with her grandmother who was her only safe haven.
Speaking at a recent event organized by DayStar Church, recalled how her aunties would caution her grandmother not to spend her allowance on a “bastard’ as she could amount to nothing in life.
She said, “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.”
She narrated, “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?”
Inspiring others with her journey, the doctor noted that although she was told she couldn’t amount to anything, she had proved naysayers wrong.
Dr Paul stated, “But today, I am a comedian in Nigeria and a professor in the United States. I own a school, a theatre art academy
“I purposely shared my story, not in a tragic way. That’s why I did a lot of playful comedy, But I know that one or two people have picked their own lessons from this Glory be to God.
“I finished from the University of Lagos first degree. And I studied the Basic presentation, for an Executive Masters in Media and Communication, Lagos. Business school, University of Lagos.”
She added, “I also have a Masters in Business Administration from the Ladoke Akintola University and a doctorate in Theater Arts from the University of Lagos Nigeria.
“I am a professor and Head of the Department of Arts, Music and Entertainment, at Heart Bible International University. United States.”
