British-Nigerian actress and DJ Dorcas Shola Fapson, known as Ms DSF, has sparked strong reactions after stating that people who cannot afford to raise children should not have them.
Speaking on the In My Opinion podcast, she framed the view as an unpopular opinion.
“My unpopular opinion is broke people shouldn’t have kids. I don’t think it’s fair to the children. It’s not fair to the family. It’s not fair to yourself,” she said.
Ms DSF used her cousin as an example. The cousin has five children and has struggled financially since the first one arrived.
“Why do you have five? Every other week it’s, ‘Oh, can I have money for school fees? I don’t have money to feed this one.’ I think it’s so unfair, with no means to sustain them. I just think it’s really unfair,” she added.
An interviewer pushed back, noting that some successful people came from difficult backgrounds and arguing that certain achievements might not have happened without struggle. Ms DSF acknowledged the point but questioned the choice to repeat hardship.
“I understand that, but, like, why would you want to keep birthing people into a struggle? Like, I was birthed into a struggle. Why would I want my kids to be birthed into a struggle? I had to fight. Do I want my kids to fight?” she asked.
The host maintained that going through hardship can shape people into something special, though the exchange also touched on whether that idea romanticises poverty. Ms DSF said she was born into a humble home and vowed not to raise her own children in the same circumstances.
Born in North London in 1991, Fapson is best known for playing Sophie in MTV’s Shuga series. She has also worked as a DJ and television presenter. Her mother died when she was 14, and she has previously spoken about growing up with challenges before building her career across acting and entertainment.
The clip has divided online opinion. Some agreed that children should not be brought into financial strain; others argued that poverty does not erase the right to parent and that the real issue is responsible planning rather than a blanket rule.