Liberian-Ghana based Nollywood actress, Juliet Ibrahim, has shaken her fans with a touching story of how she almost lost her battle with depression.
The divorced mother-of-one revealed in an interview with Saturday Beats how she pulled through those trying moments of her life.
She revealed how the stigmatisation and judgemental society almost broke her, but as the strong woman she is, she managed to find happiness.
With the help of writing, she said she overcame some personal experiences that would have ordinarily broken an average person.
“I have once battled with depression. I am a woman of many stories and that is what makes me who I am. I have had a lot of experiences that I felt I had to share with my ever-growing fan base. Writing my memoir was very therapeutic for me. I honestly did not realise how strong I was until I put together all my experiences in the memoir. I have had experiences that would probably break the average person but I survived.
“I drew inspiration from the fact that many African women share similar stories and have a lot in common but sadly, have no medium to share these stories. It is always a case of women being judged or stigmatised. By telling such stories in society, I believe I would create an avenue for advocacy and sensitisation to make an impact in the world.
“By telling my stories, it is my intention to uplift readers and remind them that despite the many challenges experienced, there truly is always light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.
Speaking on the issue of the naysaying from some social media users, she disclosed she does not allow irrelevant talks weigh her down.
Rather, her lawyers are at her beck and call to address any expression meant to dent her hard-earned brand.
“Being a public figure comes with its ups and downs. Not everyone would like one and vice versa. One cannot also control what the media wishes to publish about one, and what people would say about one, especially in this era of social media. Every social media caption is now misinterpreted, misconstrued or used to replace an interview meant to be conducted.
“I do not feel anything as regards negative stories, especially when people would rather sit around and intentionally create a false story or controversy just to sell their newspapers or get clicks for their blogs. If at all something false is published about me, I would react appropriately or have my lawyers do their work. Being a celebrity means my life is for public entertainment.
“I chose this lifestyle, so I had to be prepared for everything else that comes with it. More so, without the critics, media and fans, there would be no Juliet Ibrahim. At the end of the day, we are all doing our jobs. I take no offence to constructive criticism,” she added.
