Anthony Edwards’ Ex Ayesha Responds After Alleged Texts Leak: ‘Being a Father is Not Optional’.
Ayesha Howard, the ex-girlfriend of NBA star Anthony Edwards, broke her silence after alleged texts sent by Edwards urging her to get an abortion were revealed. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, February 13, Ayesha, 37, expressed her thoughts on the situation.
Ayesha began by writing, “You have all become so numb, ungrateful and disrespectful of the ability to reproduce and give life that abortion has become desensitized.” She continued, “You are so accustomed to seeing, hearing and being raised by women who had to be the village after abandonment, that society has normalized cowardly behavior. Now, the blame is placed on the woman on innocent babies while the man is continuously protected.”
“Hmmm … let me fix that,” she added. “It’s not your fault, sis. It’s your body, your choice and your voice still matters. Although you may have seen your mother, aunts or grandmothers handle this own their own, they were never supposed to, and neither are you.”
Ayesha further emphasized, “To the men who lacked and continue to lack male representation, influence and accountability: being a man doesn’t start and stop with an erection. Being a father is not optional after bypassing the preventative measures available to you beforehand. Don’t become what your fathers were to your mothers. Conceiving takes two. In that moment, both male and female have choices that determine the outcome of tomorrow.”
She continued, “It’s everyone’s responsibility to make choices they can live with.” Ayesha added, “I’m happy with mine. My daughter is a God-given gift, not a mistake. The act was consensual, and my baby is not to blame. It’s my body, my choice, my mind. I’m not imposing what you should do with your body, so please respect my choice with mine.”
Ayesha closed her message with, “To any woman navigating single motherhood stay strong and stand tall for your babies. The wrong is in abandonment, not in the blessing of reproduction.”
Ayesha filed a paternity lawsuit against Edwards, 23, in Los Angeles in October 2024. In the same month, Ayesha gave birth to their daughter, Aubri Summers Howard. Edwards, in turn, filed his own paternity case in Georgia, requesting a DNA test. The test, conducted in December 2024, confirmed that Edwards is the father of Aubri. The couple continues to argue over where the case should be heard, with a decision still pending.
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Edwards has made it clear in court that he does not want custody or visitation rights and that the only issue to be resolved is child support. In a legal declaration, Ayesha wrote, “I trust that the court will see through the baseless claims made by Anthony, and will allow justice to prevail, not only for me, but most importantly, for my daughter, who deserves the love, support, and presence of both parents, regardless of the obstacles her father seeks to create.”
Ayesha had also previously submitted the alleged text messages from Anthony, which were a key part of the legal proceedings. In the exchange, the NBA star reportedly urged Ayesha to terminate the pregnancy after she told him she was expecting their child.