French actress Mimie Mathy has revealed that she can no longer walk and now relies on a wheelchair, speaking publicly about her loss of mobility for the first time during a television interview broadcast on Sunday.
The performer welcomed journalist Audrey Crespo-Mara to her home in Vaison-la-Romaine, located in the Vaucluse department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France, for a feature on the weekly news show Sept à huit.
During the 51-minute feature, Mathy agreed for the first time to allow cameras to record her new daily routine. Producers noted that she spoke about her condition with her characteristic smile and humor, offering a candid look at the changes in her personal life.
Adapting to a new routine
The video news team at TF1info described the encounter as an intimate and touching profile of the television star. Mathy addressed the new stage of her life with sincerity, reflecting on her daily dependency and her transition to using a wheelchair full time.
Mathy, 69, is one of the most recognizable figures on French television. She is best known for starring as the lead character in Josephine, Guardian Angel, a long-running fantasy comedy drama series that has aired on the TF1 network since 1997. In the series, she plays a guardian angel who uses magic and empathy to help people solve personal dilemmas.
A prominent career on French screens
Born in Lyon with achondroplasia, a genetic condition that causes short stature, Mathy developed an interest in performing at an early age. She initially gained national fame in the 1980s as part of the comedy trio Les Filles alongside Michèle Bernier and Isabelle de Botton before establishing a solo acting career. Over several decades, she has remained a prominent figure in French popular culture and a regular performer in the annual Les Enfoirés charity concerts.
The interview formed part of Le Portrait de la semaine, the signature weekly interview segment of Sept à huit. Presented by Crespo-Mara, the segment regularly features in-depth profiles of cultural figures, newsmakers, and public personalities. The news magazine program airs on Sunday evenings on TF1, France's largest terrestrial television network.
The broadcast was published online on August 30, 2026, marking the latest update on the actress's life as she continues her career while adapting to her new physical circumstances.
