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Paloma Faith clarifies gender neutral child claims

The singer welcomed her first child in December 2016

paloma faith
Sharnaz Shahid
Deputy Online Editor
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Paloma Faith has been forced to clarify whether she is raising her three-year-old daughter gender neutral, just days after finally revealing her child is a girl.

MORE: Paloma Faith shares a look inside her kooky and colourful home

The 38-year-old, who welcomed her firstborn with partner Leyman Lahcin in 2016, had initially kept the gender of her child under wraps, which left many wondering she was raising her daughter gender neutral.

WATCH: Our Top 10 Baby Reveals

Speaking to Radio Times, Paloma has now claimed she was "misunderstood" on the matter. "I was misunderstood – the media reported that I wasn't dictating gender stereotypes," she explained. "True, I don't encourage gender rigidity with toys, but really, I was traumatised by the birth and protective of our privacy.

READ: Paloma Faith opens up about difficult birth

"I wanted her to develop into herself before the world decided who she was. I felt like a lioness. She makes me look at the world in a way I've neglected for a long time."

paloma faith partner

Paloma Faith shares her daughter with Leyman Lahcine

The admission comes shortly after the singer opened up about motherhood as she confirmed the gender of her child - whose name she has not disclosed - while speaking to Giovanna Fletcher on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast. In the podcast, Paloma referred to her child with female pronouns. She further revealed that she had experienced a devastating miscarriage in 2019.

"Last year I was trying again and it was strange because once my daughter turned 18 months I suddenly was like, I want another one," she shared. "Then I had a miscarriage and it's sort of an ongoing thing.

paloma faith event

The singer became a first-time mum in 2016

"It's tense. It's not very sexy. I have a scar that isn't healing properly from my Caesarian so it's creating a bit of a toxic atmosphere which is also quite hard." Paloma further admitted she had experienced online abuse from trolls for her decision to raise her child as gender neutral.

"I had people calling me a child abuser online for saying that. Which was weird," she said. "And I think that's sort of part and parcel of why I didn't want that information out, and I still sort of withhold that. So if I'm with my child in public and someone comes over and asks to have their picture taken with me I never do it. At this moment my child has no idea that I'm famous or different from anyone else."

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