Adele reflects on overcoming what critics called ‘career suicide’ — having a baby

Adele is opening up about her decision to have a baby right after she became famous following the release of her debut album, "21."

The pop star accepted a leadership award on Dec. 7 at The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Women in Entertainment gala.

Adele gave a speech (which she wrote herself, she said) to more than 700 women who work in film, TV and music after accepting the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award. Lansing, the woman the award is named after, was the first woman to head a Hollywood studio.

"This all feels very big and grown up," Adele said in her speech, noting that she's "only 35 and I've only released four albums."

"It feels I’ve only really kinda just arrived ... but upon writing this speech and reflecting a little bit to work out what to say, I realized it’s actually been 17 years I’ve been a signed artist, which is kind of crazy," she said. The "Hello" singer added that she sometimes wonders if people "think that I'm calculated, you know, when I disappear for years on end, that I'm elusive and I believe that less is more, something like that."

Adele will often release an album and make public appearances for a time and then retreat from the spotlight.

“But the real reason that I only have four albums,” she continued, “(Is) my son is 11 years old.”

The multi-Grammy winner went on to explain that right at the height of the release of her first album that skyrocketed her to fame, she got pregnant.

"I fell pregnant and to many that would be — and it was — considered career suicide," she said. "However, (I'm) always one to go against the grain. It was there and then I chose to reject scarcity of success and the idea you have to be constantly relevant to be successful."

She added that she hoped, at the time, she would be able to be a "hit both on and off the stage."

"And you’ll never guess what?! (I) f---ing got away with it," she laughed. "And why? Because of all of the sacrifices the women before me have made. It’s because of them I have every right to be the boss at work and the boss at home, so thank you."

Adele welcomed her son Angelo James Konecki in 2012 with her ex-husband, Simon Konecki. The two split in 2019 and she is currently dating sports agent Rich Paul.

Adele concluded her speech by saying that she was accepting the leadership award as "an invitation to carry on being myself" and as a reminder that she was following in the footsteps of the women who came before her and blazed the trail.

"I'm following you and that every single person has the right to be the boss at work and the boss at home."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com