Davido and Anu Adeleke: 8 Untold Truths About the Trending DNA Paternity Saga

The long-running paternity dispute involving Afrobeats superstar Davido and a teenage girl, Anu Mitchell Adeleke, has returned to public attention following a series of social media exchanges. While the issue has generated significant online discussion, several aspects of the case are frequently misunderstood or oversimplified. 

The renewed exchanges have reignited broader discussions about celebrity privacy, the welfare of minors, and the impact of social media on personal family disputes. While Davido maintains that DNA testing has already resolved the matter, Anu and her mother, Ms Labinjoh, continue to seek confirmation, keeping the issue in public view.

As of now, there has been no public confirmation of new legal proceedings or independently verified DNA results. Despite Davido’s statements indicating he will not comment further, the dispute continues to draw attention, highlighting the challenges of resolving deeply personal matters under sustained public scrutiny.

Below are seven established facts that provide clearer context, based on publicly reported information and statements from the parties involved.

The paternity claim involving Davido's DNA test and Anu Mitchell Adeleke is not recent. Public statements indicate that the allegation has existed for over 10 years. Anu’s mother, Ms Ayo Labinjoh, has consistently stated that Nigerian singer David Adeleke, professionally known as Davido, is her daughter’s biological father. Davido and his representatives have repeatedly denied this claim. The disagreement has remained unresolved and has resurfaced periodically in the public domain.

Anu Mitchell Adeleke was born on 19 November 2013, and is currently 12 years old. In January 2026, she shared a letter on Instagram publicly appealing for a fresh Davido DNA test. In the post, she stated that uncertainty surrounding her paternity had caused her emotional distress, including bullying at school. She described the request as an attempt to gain clarity and personal closure. The appeal attracted widespread attention and renewed scrutiny of the dispute.

Anu’s mother, Ms Grace Ayotomide Labinjoh, has consistently maintained that Davido is her daughter’s biological father. She has also disputed claims that Davido's DNA testing has already taken place, stating that no conclusive test has been conducted to her knowledge. 

"To my shock, I read several blog stories claiming that I had 2 DNA tests to establish her paternity. This false information was maliciously spread by his former lawyer Bob Ajuada who was neither present nor employed by Mr. Adeleke at the time in 2014,” a statement shared on Instagram dated January 9, 2025, read.

“We did not go to two hospitals but a small clinic where my daughter's blood was drawn in a private room and I watched money change hands in a brown envelope.”

Ms Labinjoh’s position has remained unchanged despite repeated denials from Davido and statements from his representatives.

Anu's mother also claimed Davido's language in their exchange was abusive and constituted bullying, harming her daughter's mental health. She alleged the teenager was misrepresented publicly and past DNA tests mishandled, with a 2014 sample discarded and falsified results presented. Labinjoh stated in an Instagram post on January 15:

“I’m NOT Davido’s baby mama or a b***h. I am very protective of my daughter’s mental health after the level of bullying she went through for years. My daughter cried for days, fainted in school and went through psychotherapy."

She further elaborated: "I realize this story has now gone global again and we have largely moved on. David Adeleke has largely ignored me for years because he thought he picked up a prostitute from GQClub in Ibadan. I was a waitress and not picked up on the streets.

"I come from a good home. My late father was a good man who worked more the betterment of Nigeria before he was poisoned. My daughter is a very tech savvy intelligent achiever. I have no friends, I keep no friends and nobody in school is allowed to discuss her family with her. To my shock she was trending on X because her dad needed to call me a b***h that he’s never met yet he subjected himself to a DNA test 5X?"

She concluded her message by stating her intention to request an independently supervised DNA test and suggested that international authorities could be involved, citing Davido’s American citizenship. "David is a US citizen. I will request the US State Department to contact the Embassy in Lagos or Abuja to help us supervise and witness a clean independent DNA test. I will not say much for now. The language used was awful. My daughter did not beg to be here. Saying you’ve never met me or telling your family that I was a prostitute is wrong. Bullying my daughter is WRONG," she said.

Davido has publicly stated that DNA testing has already resolved the matter. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), he said that a total of five DNA tests were conducted at different hospitals. 

According to his account shared on Thursday, January 15, 2026, three hospitals were selected by him and two by the opposing party, and all results were negative. Davido has presented these results as conclusive and has said he considers the matter closed.

Despite Davido’s assertions, conflicting accounts remain at the heart of the dispute. In January 2025, Davido’s former lawyer, Prince Bobo Ajudua, publicly stated that DNA tests carried out at reputable hospitals showed Davido was not the child’s biological father. Ms Labinjoh has disputed this account, maintaining that no such tests occurred. No independently verified DNA results have been made public, contributing to the ongoing uncertainty.

Following Anu’s renewed appeal, Davido responded through multiple posts on X, using explicit language to deny the claim and express frustration over its continuation.

In one post, Davido wrote: “After 5 DNA test … she Dey crase .. her and her mom better leave me the f**k alone and go find her papa …”

In a separate exchange responding to a fan who asked whether he had ever known or met Anu’s mother, Davido wrote: “Never met the b***h … except when went For the DNA … very st*pid behavior I will soon treat their F* … 5 f*****g hospitals just to be clear .. the mom needs to go to jail … I don’t blame the poor girl ..”

In these posts, the 33-year-old hitmaker reiterated that DNA testing had already taken place and stated that he would not comment further on the issue.

The tone and language of the posts prompted mixed public reactions, particularly in light of the involvement of a minor.

As the online exchanges continued, Davido also made statements suggesting that further action could follow. In one post, he wrote: “When we strike make nobody beg us ooo ok”.

The post did not include additional context or explanation. Around the same period, Davido also responded to a fan who commented on the Adeleke family’s reputation for acknowledging its children. Quoting the fan’s message, he wrote: “You guys don’t know my father … he’s even the one that forced me to go .. Adeleke’s we don’t play about Blood on this side !”

The comments appeared to reference his father, Dr Deji Adeleke, and the family’s position on issues of lineage and paternity. Davido did not clarify what form any potential action might take, nor did he provide further details beyond the posts.

Davido publicly acknowledges six children, three daughters and three sons, though one son died in 2022. The multi-award-winning singer has publicly recognised and maintained relationships with his confirmed children over the years. His eldest daughter, Imade Adeleke, was born in May 2015 to businesswoman Sophia Momodu.

Hailey Adeleke, born in May 2017 to Atlanta-based model Amanda, lives primarily in the United States.

His son David Ifeanyi Adeleke Jr., born in October 2019 to his wife Chioma Rowland, tragically died in a swimming pool accident in October 2022.

Davido also has a son, Dawson Noe Adeleke, born in 2020 to UK-based makeup artist Larissa London, and twins born in October 2023 with Chioma Rowland.

Anu Mitchell Adeleke is not among the children he has publicly acknowledged, and her alleged connection to the singer remains disputed.