Ghada Abdelrazek’s personal life, especially her marriages, has always been a point of curiosity for her fans. Last night, the actress sat down with Anas Bukhash for an honest conversation about her childhood, family, career, relationships, motherhood, and more. Between emotional hardships we didn’t know about and rumors she finally set straight, here are our biggest takeaways from the episode.
The Real Ghada Behind the Spotlight
Away from the spotlight, Ghada says she is actually quite shy, despite how she may come across in her public appearances. She’s not particularly outgoing, dislikes dressing up, and isn’t a fan of all the glamour that comes with being a celebrity.
In fact, she’d much rather step out in a simple T-shirt and jeans than get dressed up. For her, the glamorous side of her life is simply part of the job.
Ghada Had to Fight Her Way Into the Industry
Ghada joined the acting industry at a young age, almost by coincidence, and says she had no connections to help her get ahead. Instead, she had to fight for her place in an industry where being a woman came with its own challenges.
Over the years, she went through difficult situations that taught her how to be strong and defend herself. She says the tough image she sometimes projects through her statements to the media is also a way of protecting herself.
“I can only say I’m going to hurt someone, but I can’t physically do it. I defend myself quickly, so now they think they can hurt me. Scaring people with my words is my only way to defend myself.”
Growing Up in Yemen, As Her Father’s Youngest
Before the fame, Ghada describes a happy childhood in Yemen before she moved to Egypt. As the youngest sibling, she was especially close to her parents and says her father spoiled her.
“I was the youngest sibling, and I was very spoiled, especially by my father.”
That changed when her father suddenly passed away when she was just 12. She was then raised by her mother, whose loss would later become another defining moment in her life. Ghada remembers being the last person to see her mother and hold her hand before she passed away.
She Was Only Married Five Times, Despite the Rumors
When it comes to her love life, Ghada finally addressed one of the biggest rumors surrounding her: the number of times she has been married.
While the press has reported that she was married as many as 12 times, Ghada says the actual number is five. She even admits that she sometimes played along with the rumor just to annoy the media.
“The press used my marriages as material for engagement. I used to say I got married 12 times just to annoy them. The truth is, I only got married five times.”
Ghada also made it clear that she believes in marriage rather than unofficial relationships. For her, if two people have real feelings for each other, she sees no reason not to get married and build a life together. That said, marriage isn’t currently on her mind.
“For me, feelings translate to marriage. I don’t believe in relationships. Why not get married, live our lives together, and if it doesn’t work out, then that’s fine.”
Motherhood Came With Its Own Sacrifices
Ghada also opened up about her relationship with her daughter, Rotana, saying she believes her daughter is almost too kind for the world and often worries about what the future holds for her.
Looking back, she also acknowledged that her career came with sacrifices when it came to motherhood. There were times when she couldn’t spend as much time with her daughter as she would have wanted because of her work.
The Mental Health Struggles She Kept Private
One of the more vulnerable parts of the conversation came when Ghada spoke about experiencing anxiety and depression in her early 30s. She says she was prescribed medication at the time and eventually became dependent on it, continuously increasing her dose.
She ultimately decided to stop taking the medication and try to deal with her struggles on her own.
“I was a hard case, so I was put on drugs. I got too dependent on it and kept upping my dose, until I decided to treat myself on my own when I stopped the drugs suddenly.”
Why She Stopped Going to Graveyards
And in one of the more unexpected revelations from the conversation, Ghada opened up about her fear of graveyards.
She says she hasn’t been to one since she once visited her father’s grave alone at around 2 a.m. Being there by herself in the middle of the night left her frightened, and she hasn’t returned since.
From her childhood and career beginnings to love, motherhood, and the struggles she faced behind closed doors, Ghada’s conversation with Anad Bukhash offered a more personal look at the woman behind the spotlight. It was a reminder that there’s always more to a familiar face than what we see in the headlines.
We Said This: Don’t Miss… Before ‘Ashmawy’: A Look Back at Ghada Abdelrazek & Mai Omar in ‘Hekayet Hayah’
