Alain Delon lived in seclusion after stroke in 2019 – his death sparked feud between children

At the age of 25, French film star Alain Delon was called ‘the most seductive man in the history of cinema’.

When he appeared on screen, his ethereal beauty was breathtaking, and in real life, ‘ladies fainted at the mere sight of him’.

The actor, who was an international sex symbol from the 1960s to the 1980s, was embroiled in controversy: infidelity, family strife and even murder charges.

After suffering a stroke in 2019, Delon led a quiet life, and after retiring from public life, his name resurfaced on 18 August 2024, the day he died at the age of 88.

No sooner had Alain Delon turned 21 than the future superstar was accused of stealing a jeep while serving in the French Navy, celebrating his 20th birthday in prison and hanging out with the wrong people.

‘I was destructive, very [undisciplined]… I was a bit of a monster; very rude,’ Delon told the Guardian.

Born on 8 November 1935 near Paris, Delon had a turbulent childhood and his teenage years were restless and rebellious, leading him into the ‘underworld’ of the Mediterranean.

In a 1970 interview with the New York Times, the 34-year-old Delon admitted that ‘most of the gangsters I know … were my friends before I became an actor.’ He continued: ‘I don’t care what my friend does. Everyone is responsible for their own actions. It doesn’t matter what they do.’

And if it weren’t for the many women who adored him, his life might have taken a different path.

At 82, Delon, whom GQ called a ‘megalomaniac,’ explained to a French publication why he chose to share his handsome face with the world: ‘I want to see in the eyes of these women that I am the most beautiful, the tallest, the strongest, and that’s why I became an actor.’

He ruled French cinema
Relying on his perfectly chiselled cheekbones and ice-blue eyes that melt hearts, Delon rose to fame in 1959 in the French comedy Weak Women, which brought him to international attention on the big screen.

His next starring role was as Tom Ripley in the 1960 film Brilliant Sunshine, based on the book The Talented Mr Ripley, which was reshot in 1999 with Matt Damon.

From the 1960s to the mid-1980s, Delon dominated the national box office and was the highest-paid actor in French history.

Despite considerable success in European cinema, he did not achieve the same recognition in Hollywood.

A notable exception was his performance alongside Burt Lancaster in the 1973 film Scorpion, in which Delon played the role of an assassin who became Scorpion’s apprentice.

National Scandal
The star’s career is not limited to acting, she has been involved in various businesses, using her fame and looks to build a successful brand. She has worked in the cosmetics world, using her image to promote branded products. Delon also dabbled in equestrianism, investing in a stable for racehorses with Jacqui ‘Le Mat’ Imbert, an infamous figure in Marseille’s underworld.

Delon’s links to the underworld became public when the scandal known as the ‘Markovic affair’ broke. The controversy began after Stéphane Markovitch, Delon’s former bodyguard and confidant, was found dead in a rubbish dump outside Paris in a discarded bag with a bullet in his head. This shocking discovery led to an investigation that brought Delon into the spotlight. Although Delon was questioned by the police and eventually found to be uninvolved in the case, it caused a national scandal and highlighted his connections to the underworld.

Love, affairs and children
In 1959, Delon became engaged to actress Romy Schneider, whom he met on the set of the 1958 film Christine. Before his breakup with Schneider in 1964, he had an affair with Nico, a German actress and singer. In 1962, his first son, Christian Boulogne, was born. Cut off from his father from birth, Boulogne (aka Ari Päffgen) died of an apparent overdose in 2023.

Also in 1962, during an affair with Austrian actress Marisa Mell, he married his only wife Nathalie Barthelemy (now Delon), who was pregnant with Anthony Delon (born September 1964).

After several new romances, Delon met Dutch model Rosalie van Bremen, and during their relationship (1987-2001) the couple had two children, Anoushka (born 1990) and daughter Alain-Fabienne (1994).

All three of their children are actors in the French film industry.

Family feud
Delon’s relationship with his sons has never worked out, and he has made it clear that he has a favourite child.

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