Watching Adja Toure, one of two Black ex-pats featured on Bravo’s “Real Girlfriends in Paris,” fall in love abroad was a joy to witness.
The Northern Virginia native moved to Paris on a whim during the pandemic, looking to shake things up a bit. She wound up cast on the new reality show, which chronicled her life as she balanced love, friends, and a budding career in the beauty industry. In the series’ first season, viewers get to see Toure and her castmates traverse the oft-romanticized “City of Light” in chic outfits, paired with adorable little dogs and relatively carefree spirits. We also watch Toure give love an honest try after meeting Alex, a German man who sweeps her off of her feet.
After sitting down with Toure for a brief chat, it’s clear how real her depiction was on “RGIP.” She began our conversation riding on the infectious high of having scored tickets to Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” tour seconds before we sat down to chat. She was thoughtful in her responses as she divulged what it was really like to live and love in Paris while filming, especially as a Black woman. While there has been no definitive word on a second season, Toure is certainly looking forward to returning to the city for a re-do without cameras. This conversation has been edited for length.
theGrio: What inspired you to go to Paris?
Adja Toure: So, growing up, my family is majority Senegalese, and so I spoke French as a little girl because it’s a Francophone country. I have a lot of family in France and Paris. So within my upbringing, I’ve been going to Paris and going to Senegal. Now I am an adult, I have my own money. I was sick of New York. For a little time being, I was like, let me just shake things up. So naturally, I went to a country where I speak the language, so I chose Paris as my destination to work remotely, and you know, shake up life a little bit.
TG: What led to you joining…
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