Hellen Maroun recently had an interview with a Senegalese magazine about her controversial divorce from champion wrestler, Balla Gaye (Omar Sakho).

Below, we bring you an extract from the interview:

It was not easy being Balla Gaye’s wife…

I heard all kinds of rumors about my marriage with Balla. Some members of my family even turned their backs on me, others were angry because I quit my religion to marry Omar. There was a lot of resentment.  I'm still young and I think I should not suffer for a man…..If you do not know where you're going; you go back to where you came from!

Your divorce is not yet official….

Do you think a marriage can survive if the couple remain apart for a year without seeing or talking to each other? I understand that there is some distance between The Gambia and Senegal, but that’s not an excuse.  The worse thing was that we were not even having phone conversations like we used to do in the beginning. He was not picking my calls.

You only visited Senegal twice…

Twice, I came to Senegal to see him. We had a conversation about me moving to live with him, but unfortunately it never happened….The last time he set foot in The Gambia, I realized that he had completely changed. He was not the same Omar I used to know.

Balla was a changed person….

I knew there was something behind his behavior. Even my friends noticed it and asked me to fix it before it’s too late. I told them that it was not my thing, to visit marabouts. I believe in God…

In the eyes of the law, you’re still his wife…

No, it's not written anywhere…I will never return to Balla! …I consulted Islamic scholars and they have confirmed that I can initiate divorce.

Give the marriage a second chance…

Never!....I’m now focusing on my new job.

It was difficult being a second wife…

No, I do not think so! I'm not jealous. By agreeing to become his wife, I was aware that there was already someone in his life. I considered my former co-wife as a big sister even though we never spoke. I never wanted to hurt Balla and the people close to him.

You’re still in love…

No, I don’t have any feelings for him. My heart is bruised and it's because of him. I cannot love him, it's all over.

You married him for fame…

People thought I married him because I wanted his money, and celebrity status. God is my witness that they’re wrong. It was not a marriage of convenience. I was really in love with him. I never asked him for money. He gave me small gifts, as a husband, but nothing more.

I regret marrying him, but I will rebuild my life.

You helped Bombardier to defeat him…

I heard the rumors and it made me smile. I never went to see a marabout to make Balla sick or orchestrate his downfall against Bombardier…

I do not frequent marabouts; it's not my type of thing. Do not judge without knowing the person..

Is Hellen ready to re-marry…

Sooner or later, I will find my new soul mate.