Sonya Curry is opening up about her life in new ways through her memoir Fierce Love: A Memoir of Family, Faith, and Purpose. In it, we discover new facts about Sonya and her family, from some of their darker times to her thoughts on her children and all their success. Let’s take a look at some of the things Sonya reveals in her book.
Sonya sat with Jemele Hill to discuss the book and some of the things that she revealed that her kids were not initially aware of, like an abortion she had earlier in life. In high school, Sonya had a relationship with an older man that resulted in an unexpected pregnancy. She drove some distance from home to a Planned Parenthood clinic where she had the procedure.
She admits that while she initially did not want to include it in the book, she felt like the “spirit” of the book was dying, and she needed to get to the core of who she is and her decision-making process. She admits that without that abortion, there would be no Steph Curry. Sonya reveals that uncertainty in her relationship with Steph’s father, Dell Curry, led her down a similar path, and she contemplated having an abortion during her pregnancy with Steph. She decided she did not want to repeat the same decision twice and kept him. “God had a plan for that child. The spirit interceding in that moment spoke to the purpose of faith. I didn’t know what was going on between me and Dell at that point, but I had to make that one decision.”
The decision to include it was also influenced by her daughter Sydel’s very public battle to conceive a child of her own while Sonya was writing the book. She felt it was necessary for her daughter to know what she’d been through so she can make her own informed decisions. Sydel revealed to People Magazine when her and husband, Damion Lee were attempting to conceive someone gave them advice to ‘do the deed’ everyday for one month. Sonya says it was more important to be real and transparent for her kids to keep them humble, especially considering that they were already privileged.
Sonya also tells a story in the book about a girl that son Seth had dated prior to getting with his wife, Ayesha. She jokes that she was not fond of the girl and spoke ill of her in the memoir. When she revealed this to Steph, he laughed and explained to her that he and the women actually reconnected years later. “Stephen, he’s an ultimate cheerleader. He laughs about the stories in there. The one about the girl I didn’t want!”
Steph and Ayesha famously met in church during their early teens but did not date till years later in their 20s. It’s not clear when Steph dated this other girl, but it was probably sometime in between that gap. Steph and Ayesha would reconnect in Los Angeles when he was 22, and she was 23 and tied the knot in 2011.
Sonya reveals to Jemele Hill that middle child Seth does not recall a lot of the details of the book. However, one thing he does remember is a tournament that he was not able to attend due to his mother. Seth Curry was getting a lot of attention in high school and was excited about attending a big tournament that would feature several coaches and scouts. Unfortunately, Seth got home late from a school event and missed curfew. As a result, his mother did not let him attend. “Seth doesn’t remember a dang-on thing that I put in the book, except for him not being able to play in that tournament. He was like I messed up his recruiting.”
Sonya admits that divorce was hard for her but was really touched when she realized how much grace her kids gave her during the darker parts of it. Sonya and Dell Curry announced they were splitting earlier this year amidst rumors that he cheated. Things got a little messy when it was reported that she moved in with another man ahead of the divorce. However, her son Steph has continued to support his mother and give her grace while she sorts through her new life. Sonya says it’s a full reflection of all the love and grace she gave them growing up, and she’s happy to see that he can reciprocate it.
