Nigerian celebrity chef, Hilda Bassey, widely known as Hilda Baci, has shared a deeply personal and emotional account of her relationship with her biological father, Effiong Bassey Edem, revealing that she was disowned by him at a critical point in her life.
During a recent interview with Taymesan on the ‘Tea with Tay’ podcast, Hilda Baci opened up about her upbringing and the turning point that led to her estrangement from her father. She narrated how her father had been present in their lives since their childhood but a significant argument between him and her mother changed the dynamics within the family.
Hilda Baci stated, “For me, I will say one of the biggest issues was when he abandoned me. He didn’t abandon me from the outset. He was present for us to some extent. But when it dawned on me was when my dad and mom had issues, and I was in 300 level second semester in University.”
She went on to recall a specific moment when she was in her third year of university and contacted her father, expressing her need for financial assistance. However, the response she received was profoundly hurtful, and it marked a turning point in her relationship with her father. She explained, “I pretty much remember my conversation with my father on one matriculation day. I called him, I was like, you didn’t bring food for me and his response was like, ‘Who’s your dad?’.“