Mimie Mathy has decided to no longer hide the significant mobility difficulties she faces. At 69, the actress from " Joséphine, ange gardien" can no longer walk and uses a wheelchair. On Sunday, August 30, she will reveal this new reality of her daily life for the first time on television in " Sept à Huit ," on TF1.
Mimie Mathy welcomes Audrey Crespo-Mara to her home in Provence
For this new "Portrait of the Week," Mimie Mathy agreed to welcome Audrey Crespo-Mara into her home in Vaison-la-Romaine, Provence. The cameras of " Sept à Huit" followed her in her personal environment, and the actress appears in a wheelchair, which she now uses for all her travels. TF1 presents this portrait as a first. While Mimie Mathy had already spoken publicly about her mobility issues and had been seen in a wheelchair, she had never before allowed cameras to so directly show the consequences of this loss of independence on her daily life. The channel thus announces that, for the first time, the actress has agreed to show her "new dependence" and to speak openly about it.
"I can no longer walk"
This change in her health was revealed by Mimie Mathy herself in June. The actress acknowledged that her mobility difficulties had become considerable : "I can't walk anymore. Well... I have a lot of difficulty walking, but that's due to my physical build. It's never easy to accept. You know, I'm a very independent person."
Mimie Mathy also explained how this gradual loss of autonomy constituted a new ordeal for her, after having learned since childhood to live with her difference : "I have overcome my difference since childhood thanks to a family environment, to guardian angels who were my parents, the first, then others I met along the way."
"Now it becomes a mechanical difference."
The actress used particularly explicit words to describe the change she now has to face : "It was a visual difference, I would say, my difference. Now it's becoming a mechanical difference."
This loss of mobility is primarily linked to the consequences of her achondroplasia and the accompanying physical problems. Mimie Mathy had already undergone several back surgeries in recent years. The wheelchair is not entirely new to the public; the actress had already been seen using it during the Enfoirés concerts in 2025. She used it at that time, in particular, to limit her movements backstage and protect her legs.
A loss of autonomy now openly acknowledged in front of the cameras
The difference this time is significant: Mimie Mathy is no longer content with being seen only occasionally in a wheelchair. She accepts that it is an integral part of the images depicting her daily life. Audrey Crespo-Mara went directly to her home to gather her testimony. Her husband, Benoist Gérard, to whom she has been married since 2005, also appears in this portrait dedicated to the actress's new life. Mimie Mathy discusses this increased dependence, without hiding the difficulties it presents for a woman who has always described herself as particularly independent.
However, she refuses to give up her career.
The wheelchair does not mean the end of Mimie Mathy's career. When she revealed the worsening of her mobility problems in June, the actress was categorical on this point : "It won't stop me from filming, writing, traveling, or continuing to have projects!"
The question arises particularly in the case of "Joséphine, ange gardien" (Josephine, Guardian Angel ), a series in which she has played the lead role since 1997. Mimie Mathy had, until now, not wanted her character to appear in a wheelchair. However, Joséphine's unique abilities, such as the ability to disappear and move with a simple snap of the fingers, allow the production team to adapt filming to her physical limitations. The actress is, however, considering fully embracing her wheelchair in other projects. She has mentioned a new series as well as a return to the stage in a show where her reduced mobility would be part of the staging.
