Adrienne Bailon-Houghton is being completely honest about the journey to motherhood and the unexpected turn it took on her health.
The former Cheetah Girl and The Real co-host recently sat down with Angie Martinez for her IRL podcast and revealed that after six years of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, stopping the process actually triggered early menopause.
“I started noticing the hot flashes right away,” Adrienne shared, recalling a moment in the salon when her hairstylist struggled to blow-dry her hair because she was sweating so much. “It was wild. My body had been through so much.”
This wasn’t just an emotional journey — it was a financial one, too. Adrienne and her husband, gospel singer Israel Houghton, spent over a million dollars on fertility treatments. And that’s not even counting the IUIs and “every other kind of imaginable treatment” they tried. “It was a pretty tough six years of trying to have my son,” she told PEOPLE earlier this year. “I know it’s not realistic for everyone… but for me, it was worth it.”
Still, Adrienne admitted she once thought having kids would be easy. Instead, she faced cycle after cycle of disappointment. Through it all, she leaned heavily on her faith. “I’ve had to come to peace with the fact that it’ll happen when it’s God’s timing,” she said.
And in August 2022, that timing came. Adrienne and Israel announced the arrival of their son, Ever James, via surrogate, a joyful ending after years of struggle.
