Why I hated my birth name, ‘Blessing’— BBNaija’s Phyna

Big Brother Naija Season 7 winner, Ijeoma Josephina Itabor, popularly known as Phyna, has shared details about her childhood and why she grew to dislike her birth name, Blessing.

During an interview on BEYONDWITHEZINNE, the reality TV star spoke about who she was as a young girl, what she experienced growing up, and how those experiences shaped her feelings about her name.

Phyna said life was difficult during her childhood and teenage years. 

She explained that she often lacked the love and support she expected from family and others around her. Because of this, she began to question the meaning of the name Blessing that was given to her at birth.

ALSO READ: ‘I’m going to be a polygamous woman’ — BBNaija’s Phyna

According to her, the gap between the meaning of the name and what she experienced in real life made her develop a dislike for it.

“The name given to me by my parents is Blessing, the reason for me hating that name was because I don’t see any sense of blessing in my life. It felt like I was always begging for love, family love, friendship even in relationships,” she explained. 

Speaking further, Phyna reflected on when things felt most difficult, especially during her teenage years, and why she felt she had to struggle on her own.

“All aspect of life for me was very crazy. Even as a teenager i didnt get anything from my parent. But I just knew I was going to be big and they will watch me on screen”

Despite those experiences, Phyna said she held on to the belief that she would succeed one day, adding that the belief kept her focused, even when she felt overlooked by people around her.