Veteran Nollywood actor Norbert Young and his wife, Gloria Young, have opened up about their struggles with childlessness for seven years. The couple shared their personal experiences during an interview on Love Notes with Tope, which gained attention after trending online on Sunday.
During the discussion, Gloria spoke about how deeply the situation affected her, while Norbert maintained that he never considered it a challenge. When asked about difficulties in their marriage, Norbert initially hesitated, seemingly unable to identify any major struggles. However, Gloria quickly reminded him, saying, “I was childless for seven years, Norbert.”
Despite this, Norbert remained firm in his perspective. “I didn’t see it as a challenge, you see, because I kept telling her, ‘What are you worried about? What is it? Be calming down.’”
He further explained his stance, sharing a personal example from his family. “I had a sister who was married for 16 years without a child, and on the 17th year, she had a child. Her husband never told her to leave. That child today is a medical doctor—a big man too. So what’s the big deal? It didn’t threaten our union at all.”
Gloria, however, admitted that she felt the weight of the situation, saying, “He never did. But I was the one feeling it, and I was the one seeing things. And he was the one telling me, ‘What is it? Stop worrying about such things.’”
Norbert acknowledged her struggles, noting, “She was anxious about it—being childless for that long. Like I said, it wasn’t a challenge for me, but it was for her. As a couple, it was challenging, but personally, I didn’t see it that way.”
The conversation then shifted to societal pressure, with Gloria asking if anyone had ever confronted Norbert about their lack of children. He responded with confidence, saying, “Them born you well come ask me that? Nobody in my family asked me.”
Gloria, however, shared a different experience. She recalled how family gatherings became uncomfortable for her due to silent but noticeable stares from relatives. “Nobody in his family did. But I would go to my own family gatherings, and not asking per se, but imagine you’re walking into the room, and one aunty looks at you—makes sure that you know she’s looking at you—then her eyes go down to your stomach. And as you walk away, her eyes are still there. What is she telling you? Like, ‘How far na? E don tey oh! E don pass one, two, three…’ Without saying a word. Oh, I had those kind of aunties.”
