Sonya Curry has been in the headlines as of late after it was announced that she and Dell Curry were getting a divorce after 33 years of marriage. They share three kids together, Stephen Curry, Seth Curry, and Sydel Curry. While their divorce has been plagued with cheating rumors, Sonya is choosing to focus on herself and her new endeavors.
At 55 years old, she is finally stepping out of the shadows of her estranged husband who also played in the NBA, and her famous children to show the world who Sonya really is. The educator was interviewed on the Jemele Hill is Unbothered podcast about her memoir Fierce Love and she opened up about her spirituality and experiencing an identity crisis. Being a young mom and an NBA wife, she went through a period where she felt like she was losing herself and turned to worldly things.
“One day at church I was just sitting there–the pastor just seemed like he’s talking to you,” she said. “There could be 10,000 people in the room and he’s like you. And he talked about if you’re tired of doing the same ole same ole, just give Jesus a try.” She continued, “And I just got up, went to the front and it was just like I can’t do this. I don’t want this anymore so Lord I’ma try you. You’ve said all that you are, let’s see. I’ma go for it.”
She also spoke about going through a depression after Sydel, her youngest child had graduated from school. During that time, Sonya had also retired from the education field. In 1995, she co-founded the Christian Montessori School of Lake Norman in North Carolina with her ex.
“There was a period where I had retired from my school, Sydel had transitioned, graduated and it was just like oh, Lord, now what?” She said. Sonya explained that she didn’t realize that she was depressed and didn’t believe her doctor at first when he suggested it. “They say there are seven things in your life you go through that are really, really tough and life-altering and one of them is retirement.”
She felt like she no longer had a purpose after teaching and raising kids for so long. Everything had come to an end and there was nothing else to look forward to doing next. “I was in my 40s then and a little bit of that mid-life crisis coming in and no more children in the house, Dell and I figuring out this thing as well of just the silence in the house,” she said. “We had grandbabies coming but they got their own stuff with that. It was just Sonya, what’s gonna be your next purpose and mission and project? It was an end of something versus the beginning of something.”
When it comes to her new book, she said that her children are very supportive of her venture. She credited Sydel especially for encouraging her to keep going.
Sonya Curry on Battling a Level of Depression and Writing her Memoir "Fierce Love"
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