Senegalese actress Halima Gadji dies in France

Senegalese actress and model Halima Gadji has died after an illness in France, Senegal’s Press Agency (APS) said late Monday.

She was best known for her role as Marième Dial in the popular Senegalese TV series Mistress of a Married Man, a show that sparked controversy but attracted a wide audience.

Earlier on Monday, Gadji had posted on Facebook about casting for season two of Nouvelle Reine, a reality TV show on Canal+ Afrique, encouraging young women to apply.

Born in 1989 in Dakar, Gadji was the daughter of a Senegalese father and a Moroccan-Algerian mother. She began modelling at the age of 15 and went on to build a career as an actress, fashion consultant, model and entrepreneur.