Adrienne Bailon Claims IVF Treatments Sent Her Body into Early Menopause

Adrienne Bailon Houghton is opening up about the long and challenging path that led to motherhood — and the unexpected health consequences that came with it.

Speaking on the Angie Martinez IRL podcast on August 7, the singer and former The Real co-host revealed that after six years of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, stopping the process triggered early menopause.

Bailon explained that she began experiencing noticeable physical changes, including frequent hot flashes. One standout memory occurred during a hair appointment, when the stylist struggled to blow-dry her hair because she was sweating profusely. It was just one example of how profoundly the fertility treatments had impacted her body.

In April, during a pop-up event for her LA VOÛTE brand, Bailon told PEOPLE that she and her husband, gospel singer Israel Houghton, spent more than $1 million on fertility treatments over the years.

“I only did eight cycles of IVF, but that doesn’t include the IUIs and every other kind of imaginable treatment,” she said. “It was a pretty tough six years of trying to have my son.” She acknowledged that her journey was not financially realistic for most people, but emphasized that, for her, it was worth the cost.

The process was far different from what Bailon once envisioned for herself. She admitted she had expected becoming a mother to be easy but instead faced repeated disappointments and moments of deep discouragement. Throughout it all, she leaned on her faith, saying, “I’ve had to come to peace with the fact that it’ll happen when it’s God’s timing.”

That faith paid off in August 2022, when Bailon and Houghton announced the birth of their son, Ever James, via surrogate. “Our baby boy is here & we are so in love,” she wrote on Instagram at the time of his birth. “He is worth every tear, every disappointment, every delayed prayer, every IVF cycle, every miscarriage.”