Soul singer Sade has long been admired for her iconic career. However, her role as a supportive mother has recently defined her public image. Her son, Izaak Theo Adu, has openly shared his journey as a transgender man, shedding light on the steadfast support he's received from his famous mother throughout his transition.
Izaak, now 28, is the only child of Sade and Jamaican reggae producer Bob Morgan. Born and raised in London, Izaak relocated to England's southwest with his parents at nine. His early education at Steiner School laid the foundation for his artistic talents. As Izaak himself explained, "Steiner School taught me to see the beauty in nature and what our world has to offer us, and it was there that I developed my deep love for art."
In an Instagram post from 2019, Izaak expressed his gratitude towards his mother following the completion of his gender transition. He wrote, "It's been a long hard road but We did it!! We are coming home!!!!" The young man continued, "Thank you for staying by my side these past six months Mumma. Thank you for fighting with me to complete the man I am. Thank you for your encouragement when things are hard, for the love you give me. The purest heart. I love you so much. Queen of queens."
Izaak has been candid about the difficulties he faced, stating in a previous post , "Being transgender is hard. Every day is a struggle. You are constantly fighting for the world to accept you and sometimes you even fight yourself..." He went on to express his gratitude for his supportive network, saying, "I am lucky because I have a family and friends that accept and love me just as I am, who see it isn't about WHAT I look like on the outside like but WHO I am inside."
In addition to his personal growth, Izaak has also achieved professional success. His artistic education includes a two-year foundation course at SGS College in the UK, where he explored various mediums including illustration, printmaking, painting, sculpture, and photography. He later pursued further studies in Brighton for four years before joining his father in carpentry and joinery.
His artistic portfolio, showcased on his personal website, features portraits of celebrities such as Drake, Donald Glover, and his mother Sade. In addition to his visual arts career, Izaak has made inroads within the fashion industry. Signed with Next Models, he has graced the runway for high-profile brands like Vetements and participated in Rihanna's Savage X Fenty show in September 2021, per South China Morning Post .
In 2021, Izaak married Emily Margaret Shakeshaft in a Hawaiian ceremony. The couple's love story began on Instagram, with Emily admitting to The New York Times that she had limited exposure to transgender individuals before meeting Izaak. "I didn't know anyone transgender and I've not seen anyone go through that process," she shared. "I come from a very conservative area and went to conservative schools and it was never really talked about in positive ways." Emily was also a long-time admirer of Sade's music, adding another layer to their connection.
Throughout his transition, Izaak has been open about both the challenges and the support he's received. In one social media post, he shared words of wisdom from his father, via SCMP: "My dad always says 'keep your eyes on the horizon' and that's what I do, because through all this pain is the comfort that it's not forever and I have the rest of my life ahead of me and I am so, so damn excited, I just have to remind myself to be patient sometimes as I'm sure we all do."
While Sade has maintained a low public profile in recent years, her impact on the music industry and her son's life remains significant. Her last album, Soldier Of Love , was released in 2010, but longtime collaborator Stuart Matthewman hinted in 2018 that work on new material had begun. The same year, Sade contributed two new songs to film soundtracks: "The Big Unknown" for Widows and "The Flower of the Universe" for A Wrinkle In Time .
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