Adele says becoming a mother could have been ‘career suicide’

The singer recently received the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award

Adele has spoken out about how she’s been able to handle being a mother during her career, a move she said could have been “career suicide.”

On Thursday 7 December the singer attended The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Women in Entertainment Gala in Los Angeles where she received the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award. During her acceptance speech, Adele reflected on being pregnant with her son, Angelo, 11, after the release of her second album.

“I could only call it pandemonium ‘cause that’s how it felt to me,” she said about 21’s release. “Overnight, it was like I was famous. It was the strangest, most surreal experience of my life ‘til to this day."

She explained that getting pregnant during such a period of success for her “to many would be — and was considered — career suicide.” However, she saw herself as “always one to go against the grain.”

“It was there and then that I chose to reject the scarcity of success and the idea that you have to be constantly relevant to be successful,” she said.  “And that perhaps, just maybe, I could be a hit both on and off the stage.”

The Rolling in the Deep singer then said it worked out for her. “You’ll never guess what?" I f***ing got away with it,” she said.

She concluded, clarifying that she wouldn’t have been able to accomplish such a feat without “all the sacrifices that women before me have made.” “It’s because of them that I have every right to be the boss at work and the boss at home. So thank you,” she said.

Recently Adele opened up about what motherhood currently looks like for her, including cooking for kids at her son’s school. In a 7 December interview with The Hollywood Reporter she talked about making kabobs for Angelo’s class. “It went great. I spilled the turmeric everywhere, so it stained my whole kitchen. I made 60 of them,” she told the outlet.

She continued, talking about how much she enjoys helping out at her son’s school because the kids “don’t care” who she is as much as adults do. “I’m thriving a bit. Now there are so many things his school does the most, with community vibes, which is fantastic,” Adele said.

“The kids don’t care. The kids don’t give a flying f*** who I am. And I get, not insecure, but I get nervous around loads of adults and strangers that I don’t know. And so making food for school events, it’s my dream.”

Angelo’s father is the singer’s ex-husband, Simon Konecki. She is currently in a relationship with sports agent Rich Paul dating back to 2021. Just last month she ​​appeared to have confirmed that she and Paul had tied the knot.

After describing herself as a “wife” on more than one occasion, the singer reportedly said she was married while attending Alan Carr’s stand-up comedy show. Two members of the audience recalled the moment to the celebrity gossip account, DeuxMoi.

“I was at Alan Carr’s comedy show in LA tonight and Adele was in the audience,” one person said. “Alan asked the crowd if anyone got married recently and Adele shouted ‘I did.’”

Another person in the audience confirmed the account to the gossip site. “When he asked if anyone got married recently she yelled ‘I did.’ Super cute all around and was super sweet but dipped right before it ended,” they said.

They added: “Adele was sitting right behind me with a friend having the best time. Her security only came in to bring her snacks.

“She didn’t care if people knew she was there. She was heckling him — they’re best friends.”