The younger brother, Alain-Fabien, went even further: he posted a hidden audio recording of a conversation online in which, according to the brothers, Anushka convinces their father to stay away from them and shapes his attitude towards them. The message boiled down to ‘they treat you like a helpless person’ — something along those lines. And you can’t help but wonder: what was it like for an elderly, sick man to exist in an atmosphere where his relatives were fighting not for their lives, but for publicity? Such family feuds drain one’s strength no less than illness — and here, on top of that, they are on display for the whole country to see.
‘You are not my son’: a story they preferred not to talk about
We cannot ignore Ari Boulogne — a man who was often referred to as Delon’s unrecognised son by singer Nico. For years, he tried to gain recognition of his kinship and prove that he was connected to the actor not only by legends and rumours. The most bitter thing in this story is the words attributed to Delon: ‘You are my friend, but not my son’ because ‘you are not like me’. Even if we disregard the details, the essence of this statement sounds cruel: for a man who spent his entire life seeking one answer, such a rejection becomes a personal tragedy.
Ari died in 2023, never having received recognition. The reason was painfully prosaic: an overdose. What happened next shocked many: Delon made no public statement and did not make any noticeable gesture. Only Anthony limited himself to a short post on social media. For some, this became a ‘dark spot’ on the image of the legend: yes, he was great in cinema, but in human history there is too much silence and cold decisions surrounding him — and this leaves a bitter aftertaste.
Dog loyalty and the last scandal
There is another detail that particularly affected many people. Delon reportedly wanted his sheepdog Lubo to be put down and buried with him. He explained this in his own way: he did not want the animal to suffer without its owner and then suffer ‘at his grave.’ This wish, expressed as if out of concern, sounded frightening to the public — and added another resonant, painful touch to an already difficult family drama.
It sounds almost ‘touching,’ but animal rights activists immediately raised a fuss: putting down a healthy dog just because its owner died is not about love, but cruelty. Fortunately, after the actor’s death, the family, faced with public pressure, abandoned this idea — Lubo was allowed to live.
Was this an ending he didn’t deserve?
Alain Delon passed away on 18 August 2024 at the age of 88.
He was buried at his family estate in Douzy, in a chapel on the grounds, next to the cemetery he had created for his dogs, where, according to press reports, at least 35 of his pets are laid to rest.
It is sad to realise all this. The cinema legend, a symbol of an entire era, did not pass away in peace and dignity, but against a backdrop of public quarrels, court proceedings and mutual recriminations from his own children. Instead of tranquillity and care, the last years of his life resembled a protracted scandalous soap opera.
If you think about it, there is something truly frightening about this: dedicating your life to your career, achieving worldwide recognition, raising children — and ultimately finding yourself at the centre of a family war. The story is not about fame, but about human fragility.
One gets the feeling that at some point he simply ran out of steam. He was tired of illness, of age, of the endless pressure and conflicts around him. And perhaps most of all, he was tired of the fact that the people closest to him were unable to keep the peace when he needed it most.