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Alain Delon, the iconic French actor, producer, and writer whose striking, enigmatic beauty made him an international sex symbol, has passed away at the age of 88. In a statement released to the AFP news agency, Delon’s family said, “He passed away peacefully at his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and family.” Delon had been in declining health in recent years, having suffered a stroke in 2019.French President Emmanuel Macron led the tributes, calling Delon "melancholic, popular, secretive—more than a star: a French monument."
Delon will be remembered as a legend of French and European cinema, known for his collaborations with celebrated directors. However, his career was also marked by controversy, including criticism for his political views and attitudes towards women. Feminist groups were outraged when he was awarded an honorary Palme d’Or later in his life.
Born in Sceaux, a suburb south of Paris, Delon’s early life was tumultuous, marked by his parents’ divorce and frequent expulsions from school. He later served in the French Navy and took on various odd jobs in Paris. Delon made his film debut in 1957, playing a hitman in the thriller *Quand la femme s’en mêle* (English title: *Send a Woman When the Devil Fails*). This role set the stage for a career filled with anti-hero characters that defined his status as a leading figure in 1960s European cinema. He worked with renowned directors such as René Clément (*Plein Soleil*, 1960, known as *Purple Noon* in the U.S.), Luchino Visconti (*Rocco and His Brothers*, 1960, and *The Leopard*, 1963), and Jean-Pierre Melville (*Le Samouraï*, 1967).
In 1968, Delon became entangled in the Markovic affair, a scandal involving sex, drugs, and murder within French high society. Although questioned, he was never charged. Delon also appeared in several English-language films, including *The Yellow Rolls-Royce* (1964) Westerns *Texas Across the River* (1966) and *Red Sun* (1971), though he never replicated his European success in Hollywood.
In 1985, Delon won a César Award, the French equivalent of an Oscar, for Best Actor in Bertrand Blier’s *Our Story*, where he portrayed an alcoholic. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as Tancredi in *The Leopard*. In 1990, he starred as Lennox in Jean-Luc Godard's ambitious drama *Nouvelle vague* (*New Wave*). Though his star faded in later years, Delon made a return to television in the early 2000s, playing veteran detectives in the miniseries *Fabio Montale* (2002) and *Frank Riva* (2003-04). In 2005, Delon was honoured as an Officer in the French Legion of Honor for his contributions to world cinema.
Family Feud and Controversy
Delon’s last major public appearance came in 2019 when he received a career-honoring Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, a move criticized by women’s rights groups due to past statements in which Delon admitted to slapping women. A petition against honoring him garnered over 25,000 signatures. Delon was married to actress and model Nathalie Delon from 1964 to 1969, and they had one son, Anthony. He also had three other children: Christian Boulogne, with singer and actress Nico, and Anouchka Delon and Alain-Fabien Delon, with Dutch actress Rosalie van Breemen. A polarizing figure, Delon was criticized for his close friendship with Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Front party, with whom he maintained a 50-year relationship. Delon also expressed regret over the abolition of the death penalty and opposed same-sex marriage and adoption rights for gay couples.
As his health deteriorated, a public dispute erupted among Delon’s children over his care. Anthony and Alain-Fabien accused their sister Anouchka of hiding their father's condition from them and manipulating him. This followed a legal battle in 2023 in which Delon’s children filed complaints against Hiromi Rollin, a close companion who had presented herself as his partner, for alleged violence, harassment, and abuse. Rollin, in turn, accused Delon’s children of gang violence and theft after being evicted from his property in Douchy. All complaints were ultimately dismissed.
