French actor Alain Delon, 88, has died

The French actor Alain Delon, who both fascinated and divided audiences, has died at the age of 88, his three children announced in a joint statement to AFP on Sunday morning.

  

“Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony, as well as (his dog) Loubo, are deeply saddened to announce the departure of their father. He passed away serenely in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family,” they said in the statement. “The actor of “Plein soleil” and “Samourai” has gone to join (the Virgin) Mary among the stars so dear to his heart. His family asks you to please respect his privacy at this extremely painful time of mourning”, the three children continue.   

 

The actor passed away “very early in the middle of the night”, they said.   A rare film actor since the late 90s, Alain Delon made headlines in the summer of 2023 when his three children filed a complaint against his lady-in-waiting, Hiromi Rollin, sometimes described as his companion, suspecting abuse of weakness. His three children then waged a fratricidal war through the media and the courts, arguing over the star's state of health, which included lymphoma and a stroke in 2019. 

 

In May 2019, he returned to taste the lights of the Cannes red carpet to receive an honorary Palme d'or, between tears and a speech with testamentary overtones: “It's a bit of a posthumous tribute, but from my lifetime”, reacted the actor of “Plein soleil” (1960), the film that gave him international acclaim, “Rocco et ses frères” (1960) and “Le Guépard” (1963), or “La piscine” (1969).