Nigerian singer Adekunle Gold has revealed that he would not have married fellow singer Simi if she had the SS blood genotype, saying the couple checked their genotypes when they first met to determine their compatibility.
The ‘Many People’ hitmaker made the disclosure during an interview on the One 54 podcast, where he stressed the importance of knowing one’s genotype before entering a relationship or having children.
According to Gold, Simi is AA, and their genotype compatibility was something they established at the beginning of their relationship.
He also called for greater awareness about sickle cell disease and genotype compatibility, stressing that people should understand the potential consequences of having children with incompatible genotypes.
“There is so much awareness to be done. People need to understand that if you have sickle cell, forget about love; you can’t be with someone with sickle cell too. It makes no sense to bring a child into the world who will be sickly,” he said.
“There’s no way I would have married my wife Simi if she was sickle cell. The first thing we did when we met was a genotype test to know if we matched. If we didn’t, I wouldn’t have married her. She is AA.”
Gold, who publicly disclosed his sickle cell journey in 2022 and used his single ‘5 Star’ to raise awareness about the condition, has continued to advocate for people living with sickle cell disease.
In July 2024, the singer reiterated his commitment to the cause, saying his mission was to help people living with the condition “feel safe and supported”.
In 2025, Gold also launched a free health insurance programme aimed at supporting 1,000 people living with sickle cell disease.
Source: One 54 Podcast
