Senegalese-Algerian-Moroccan artist and performer Halima Gadji served as the outspoken leading lady of the Senegalese soap opera Maitresse d’un Homme Marié Mistress of a Married Man) from its first to third season. The beloved actress recently opened up about her reasons for leaving the show in a documentary-style performance from her five-part YouTube series, My Truth. The viral francophone-African series sparked debates about polygamy, adultery, sexual abuse, domestic violence, child abduction, and parental irresponsibility in societies that had seldom addressed these issues in this manner before. The daring Marème, its protagonist played by Gadji, gave African women a voice.

The woman-led production placed women at the forefront of the TV drama and shook many a table while garnering millions of views on YouTube. It was and remains poignant, honest storytelling from the female gaze. 

Much like her character Marème Dial, Halima Gadji is pushing boundaries and forging a path for herself in a society and industry that often combats her unapologetically living in her truth. 

You were propelled to fame playing Marème, the outspoken protagonist of the series Maîtresse d’un Homme Marié, and you recently left the series over unfair pay. How important is it for you to serve as a voice for women? 

Indeed, there has been a lot of speculation around why I’ve left the series. Long story short, it is not about unfair pay, but rather an overall set of conditions: a production model and a number of professional and human values which do not match mine. What matters today though is that I’ve become a voice for women and young girls. What I know is that with fame comes responsibility and I do not take that lightly. I have often been told that my beauty was enough, that I did not have to express my opinion or think out loud. I was never allowed to partake in political debates, and I was never asked questions about social issues. Expressing myself so publicly is important to me because I want to show other women that they have the right to project their voice as far as they deem it necessary; it is in their right to be upset and to have strong opinions.

There were many a conversation held on subjects from polygamy to adultery to sexual abuse to domestic violence to child abduction to parental irresponsibility [in the series]. How does it feel to have been a part of a series sparking such debates on Senegalese and Francophone African society?

I am very proud to have had the courage to take on such a demanding and sensitive role. I was part of the adventure from the beginning, even when the show was just a little Facebook series. I love that we were able to reach so many people and expose them to societal issues Africa is facing today. I was even prouder when we introduced a therapist instead of a witch doctor like every other African show. Through my character and storylines, I was able to erase certain stigmas just like I am doing in the documentary My Truth.

Women are at the forefront of Maitresse. How important is it for women’s stories to be told, in your opinion?

It is beyond important to let women be the heroes of their own stories; it is vital, it is essential, and necessary for our own agency as valuable women. We need young girls to see representations of strong women on screen. Years ago, actresses were often placed into stereotypical roles— they were the maids and struggling mothers. Where Nollywood helped break certain stereotypes, today, things are slowly but surely changing. I am an optimist. I believe things will get better for women in our industry. I want to tell the stories of African women with goals and aspirations and that are as ambitious as men are allowed to be. I want to portray fearless women on screen.   

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Tell me more about the My Truth Series? What sparked your desire to bear it all? 

I have been working on this documentary since 2017. It is a passion project. I wanted people to know my story and understand my struggle. I wanted to share my truth and help people understand that Marème Dial is a character that is very different from who I am. I believe that talking about my experiences and sharing my struggles can help other people enduring the same issues. I am very passionate about breaking the stigma around mental health, especially in Africa. People are ashamed to talk about panic attacks, anxiety, and depression because they know that they are going to face backlash or have negative labels attached to them.

In the show, I also talk about the responsibility that comes with dealing with three distinct identities. I am Senegalese, Algerian, and Moroccan. There is a certain struggle that comes with juggling different traditions and cultures. For the first time ever, I am talking openly about my stutter which was triggered by a traumatic childhood. My wish is for children with the same condition to watch My Truth and realize that their stutter is not a handicap and that they can achieve anything they want to. Bearing it all is freeing. These experiences have shaped me and made me stronger.

In “My Truth”, will we get to connect with you as a real woman sharing your real-life story?

My Truth will help my fans understand me more. Understand my choices and why I am so passionate about certain issues. There are five episodes— they each showcase a side of my personality. 

With your time on Maîtresse d’un Homme Marié over, what is next for you?

I had been an established artist far before the ‘Mistress’ series, and I will keep being that ever-growing artist. Next up is the second episode of My Truth which will tackle education. It is my favorite project to date. I also want to become an advocate for mental health. Therapists are very expensive in Africa. Consultations are not covered by insurance. My goal is to highlight the fact that mental health is simply ‘health’. If one part of our body breaks, we take the fracture very seriously. Why don’t we do the same with our minds? Our minds can not be cast aside. I love being an actress and a performer, so obviously I have a few other projects and announcements in the works, but I cannot talk about them just yet. Stay tuned.

Tell us about your mental health hurdles?

I suffered from bulimia from the ages of 11 to 20. I had two suicide attempts, tried to harm myself several times. I was clinically depressed twice in my life. I hated myself so much that I used to pretend I was someone else, someone with better clothes and more money. Even during my success, I suffered from anxiety and panic attacks. I was put into a psychiatric ward without my consent.

I have lived through these hurdles, yes, but I’ve managed to outgrow them, breathe and become the person I am today. I see a therapist once a week and I do not self-medicate anymore. I go to the gym every day which helps me a lot. I eat healthily and surround myself with people who understand my struggles, those who support me, believe in me, and accept me despite my difficult upbringing.

Detail the journey that led you to become the woman you are today.

I believe leaving school when I was 15 totally changed my outlook on life. I took a chance on myself and dared to follow my dreams. I was confronted with the nightlife and everything that comes with it: threats of physical and sexual violence, broken individuals without care systems, vulnerable young adults resorting to shortcuts in life, I’ve witnessed it all, but I’ve come out strong, composed, and determined. Everything I learned, I learned it in the street. It taught me more about life than any school or entertainment industry. It was a long and curvy road towards success, but I made it the honest and hard-working way! 

Why did you become an actress?

I needed to express myself. It was visceral. I love performing for people, I love being on sets. Being able to inhabit someone else, write scenarios, and create fictional worlds is what I was made for. My friends always believed I would become an actress. I was always performing even when there were no cameras. I am living my dream. Cinema is my happy place, it is my Disneyland!

How would you describe the modern African woman living on the continent? What is she like?

The modern African woman is strong. She strives for independence. She fights for gender equality in every industry. She is free. She believes she can achieve anything she sets her mind to. She is beautiful, elegant, and smart. She does not allow herself to be defined by society’s expectations of what she should be. She is also proud of her culture and ancestral heritage; she is aware of colonial traumas and ongoing post-colonial aggressions and threats. She is not the mistress but rather the ‘Master’ of her own destiny.