20 Facts About Nadja Benaissa

Nadja Benaissa was born on 26 April 1982 and is a German singer and television personality.

Nadja Benaissa rose to fame in late 2000 when she auditioned for the German adaption of the reality television show Popstars and became a member of the girl group No Angels, one of the best-selling girl groups of European origin of all time.

Nadja Benaissa announced her departure from the group in 2010 after she was found guilty of one count of causing grievous bodily harm and two counts of attempted bodily harm and given a two-year suspended sentence.

Months later, Nadja Benaissa released Alles wird gut, her first autobiography, and relocated to Berlin where she withdrew from the public eye to pass her Abitur exams, and qualified as an event manager.

In 2019, Nadja Benaissa joined the a cappella group Medlz, with whom she recorded and released two studio albums.

At the age of nine, Nadja Benaissa began playing instruments, learning the piano and the flute.

Nadja Benaissa was diagnosed with HIV when she was 17 during a routine screening after she became pregnant.

On 25 October 1999, at the age of 17, Nadja Benaissa gave birth to her daughter Leila Jamila, an event which she describes as "the proudest moment of [her] life".

Nevertheless, Nadja Benaissa decided to remain with the band, and in the following years No Angels released another two number-one studio albums, Now.

Nadja Benaissa eventually finished fourth with 104 points, while the single entered at number 36 on the German Singles Chart.

In June 2006, Nadja Benaissa participated in another non-profit-making aid project when she provided vocals for the Fury in the Slaughterhouse cover, "Won't Forget These Days", released during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

However, as all four band members had settled on the continuation of solo projects, Nadja Benaissa entered Berlin recording studios in January 2008 to record at least 15 new demo songs, including material she already penned in 2003.

Also in 2008, Nadja Benaissa appeared as a guest vocalist on rapper Fler's third studio album Fremd im eigenen Land.

On 11 April 2009, shortly before the release of the band's fifth studio album Welcome to the Dance, Nadja Benaissa was arrested on suspicion of having had unprotected intercourse on several occasions in 2004 and 2006 without beforehand informing her partners that she was HIV-positive, allegedly infecting one partner with HIV.

Nadja Benaissa was remanded into custody, after a judge ruled there was a danger she might repeat the alleged offence, but eventually released on 21 April 2009, subject to unnamed conditions.

Nadja Benaissa did not take part in the tour as she had called in sick a week before, prompting the remaining trio to re-arrange their set at the last minute.

Nadja Benaissa recorded two studios album with band, including the cover album lauft bei uns and the Christmas album Weihnachtsleuchten, Vol.

In November 2023, Nadja Benaissa released the single "Ich halt dich nicht auf," a duet with singer Noel Andre.

The song is planned to precede her yet-to-be-titled second solo album which Nadja Benaissa was expecting for release in 2024.

On 27 March 2024, Nadja Benaissa co-starred as Maria in the RTL live action musical Die Passion, based on the Passion of Jesus and filmed in Kassel.