How Shanice's Label Dropped Her for Becoming Pregnant… and How She Recovered

In 2000, Shanice's career was thriving. She had recently released her fourth chart-topping album with the leading label, LaFace Records, featuring her hit single, "When I Close My Eyes." But when she became pregnant with her first child, Imani, the label abruptly dropped her.

"We had flown to New York to have a meeting with a major executive. I was five months pregnant at the time," Shanice explains. "He says 'I'm so excited about your project.' By the time I get back to LA from New York I get a phone call: 'The label's just gonna let you be a mom for awhile. We're gonna let you go.'"

As Shanice's career stalled, she spiraled into a deep depression, though she always found comfort in her family.

"I felt like everything stopped for me. I was so proud of my new baby, but I was so miserable because I wanted to sing," Shanice says. "I wanted to be a mom and still be a successful singer and I felt like it was all taken away from me."

Shanice ultimately bounced back, inspired creatively to start her own label where she could explore new avenues on her own terms. Now Shanice finds hope and solace in the fact that, sixteen years later, celebrity pregnancies are celebrated and women in the entertainment industry can fully embrace motherhood without sacrificing their careers.

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