Once One of the Most Handsome Men, This Hollywood Legend, 88, Lived Reclusively after a Stroke amid His Kids’ Bitter Feud

Once hailed as one of the most good-looking men in the world, this late alluring French actor used to live a completely different life than he once did under Hollywood’s spotlight.

The “Flic Story” talent, who was aware of how “handsome” he was, lived reclusively in his home after tragically suffering a stroke in 2019. This occurred a few weeks after he received an honorary Palme d’Or in Cannes, France.

Sitting behind a grand stone wall that spans 1.4 miles (2.3km), his house boasted a sprawling estate called La Brûlerie. It is located 86.99 miles (140km) southeast of Paris, near the Douchy-Montcorbon village in the Loreit department of central France.

More than just his home, according to sources, this was where the silver screen legend desired to be buried, close to a chapel situated on the grounds of a cemetery he built. This cemetery is also the resting place for over 30 of his beloved hounds.

Although his home base was in France, reports stated that the recluse used to split his time between his workspace in Paris, his apartment in Geneva, and his home in Douchy.

Aside from previously planning where his burial grounds would be, the French heartthrob was dealing with a contentious familial issue. Three of his children found themselves at war with each other.

His two sons and daughter have had public disputes, thrown around accusations, and pursued legal actions, all based on their late father and his assets. As a result of how public their squabbles have been, the actor’s children have garnered a lot of media attention.

So much so that their dad’s lawyer, Christophe Ayela, had attempted to foster a truce between them. “It has to stop and everyone needs to calm down. That’s enough now,” chastised Christophe.

Adding another layer of complexity to the familial tension was the fact that the late “Purple Noon” actor, whose children confirmed, was aware of their dispute, made it abundantly clear that he had a favorite child.

“I have a daughter who is the love of my life, perhaps a little too much with regard to the others,” he previously confessed.

“To no other woman have I so often said I love you,” he professed in 2008. Based on these statements and other observations, eagle-eyed spectators suggested that perhaps the father’s strained relationship with his sons, who are also both actors, stemmed from him viewing them as rivals.

Like her doting dad, the actor’s daughter had also publicized the deep love she had for her father. In April (2024), she took to Instagram to post a loving tribute to him, which also gave fans an update on how the actor was doing at that time.

Alongside a picture of her dad, she penned a heartfelt message written in French. The English translation of that caption reads, “Friday morning I took a picture of my dad. For me. A memory of our times. Having breakfast with him makes me feel endlessly grateful. Unique moment of sweetness.”

She then went on to describe his appearance, calling him “handsome,” and highlighting his “vivid” and “fighting” spirit. “My own immortal,” wrote the late actor’s daughter.

“I showed him the picture […] I asked him if I could share it with you, his audience that cares about him. So with his permission there it is. And to your worries he answers: ‘Don’t worry.’ ❤️ #love,” she finished.

The iconic French casanova whom fans were worried about and who was living reclusively is none other than Alain Delon. Sadly, the French leading man passed away on August 18 (2024) at 88 years old.

His three children confirmed the news via a statement they shared with AFP, in which they divulged how devastated the three of them and Alain’s dog, Loubo, are. They also shared how Alain passed away peacefully, surrounded by them and other family members in his home in Douchy.

Drawing back to Alain’s daughter Anouchka Delon’s Instagram post that she shared before he died, her followers took to the Instagram comment section to express their feelings.

“He is beautiful and lovely as always, please be [by] his side, he needs you more than anyone, I know you love your daddy, and care [about] him too much 😘😘😘,” gushed a fan. Similarly, fellow French actor, Gilles Marini, expressed, “Stay close. ❤️ Full of love. Nothing else matter. ❤️❤️.”

Although Anouchka and her brothers, Anthony and Alain-Fabien Delon, had not been seeing eye-to-eye, one thing they agreed on was making sure that their father’s well-being and finances were taken care of.

In early April, a French news outlet reported that Alain’s kids united in March to request that their dad be placed under a “reinforced curatorship.” This move came after Alain had already been placed under judicial protection for “medical monitoring.”

As of April 4, the report stated that their request was approved. This meant that a “curator” would be appointed as the overseer of Alain’s finances and would essentially act on his behalf concerning issues to do with his assets and in some cases, his then-medical requirements.

At the time, there had been no confirmation of who this curator would be. Additionally, whether it was one of his kids or Hiromi Rollin, described by the news outlet as Alain’s “lady in waiting,” was unknown.

There was also the question of what would happen to Alain’s company, Alain Delon International Diffusion SA of which he was the President and Anouchka, the Vice President. Since the request for the curatorship had been granted before his death, Alain would have been no longer permitted to exercise decisions in that capacity.

Nonetheless, instead of fussing over the details, Alain was focused on his future. In an interview he did in 2021, he divulged his desire to make one last movie; a film he was certain could have ended up being his best work yet.

Closing off the interview, the “Borsalino” star disclosed, “[In] my life what I loved most was being Alain Delon, the actor Alain Delon.”

“Look at ‘Rocco [And His Brothers],’ look at ‘Purple Noon!’ The women were all obsessed with me. From when I was 18 till when I was 50,” boasted Alain of himself as an alluring actor.

During an outing with a friend to Saint-Germain-des-Prés in the ’50s is reportedly when Alain first noticed the effect he had on women. “I realised that everyone was looking at me. Women became my motivation. I owe them everything. They were the ones who inspired me to look better than anyone else,” stated the late actor.

Alain made it his priority to “look better than anyone else” so much so that he took the title of the “most seductive man in cinema” at 25 years old and was even deemed to be the male version of Brigitte Bardot. The French icon is well-known as one of the biggest “It” girls in cinematic history.

She is recognized and revered for the iconic roles she has played in numerous silver-screen productions. Playboy, known for its features and displays of beautiful famous women, had given the French blonde beauty a top spot as one of the sexiest female stars of the 20th century.

Other media outlets even deem her as the number one “It” girl of all time. Concerning her alluring beauty, Brigitte is also typically known for her famous pouty lips, and regarding Playboy’s sexiest female star list, she came in at number four.

Her sultry confidence and sensual charisma also saw her be labeled as her home country’s most gazed-upon star. Apart from the success she garnered during her time as an actress and all-round entertainer, Brigitte has also built a reputation as an avid animal rights activist.

As far as her personal life is concerned, the beloved star, commonly referred to by her nickname BB, is a mother of one and has been married to her husband, Bernard d’Ormale, for 31 years. According to media outlets, the couple tied the knot in secret in August of 1992, with only a few friends joining them for their special day.

The two have remained blissfully married since then, and when they first wed, Brigitte’s friends told a news outlet that the “Contempt” star was happier than she had been in a while thanks to her sudden and secret marriage with Bernard.

Interestingly, before the two wed, Brigitte’s friends had expressed doubt that she would remarry after her last husband. Nonetheless, the two wed in a quaint little wooden church in Norway and lived together in Brigitte’s luxury 10-bedroom mansion in Saint-Tropez.

From the time they first met, Bernard has remained by Brigitte’s side, especially throughout her health scares. When French newspapers first reported that their beloved celebrity had allegedly overdosed on sedatives in 1992 while at home, Brigitte’s knight in shining armor quickly reassured the very worried public that she was ok.

He explained, “Brigitte was overcome with fatigue and took too much medication to go to sleep…she did not have her stomach pumped and was fine after a few hours.”

A spokesperson for the clinic where Brigitte was taken, further confirmed Bernard’s assertion that his wife was fine. However, years after her sedative scare, Brigitte faced another health battle.

Earlier this year (2024), Bernard confirmed that Brigitte experienced difficulty breathing. Luckily, first responders quickly intervened, provided her oxygen, and stayed with her for a while to ensure she was okay.

Bernard explained that the cause of his wife’s respiratory problems was age and weather-related, citing an extreme heatwave circulating Europe at that time. Apparently, the air conditioning system in their La Madrague home was not functioning optimally.

Despite assuring the public of Brigitte’s wellbeing, a news outlet had alleged that she had stayed in the ICU. However, the “A Very Private Affair” talent set the record straight via a handwritten note in which she penned, “I want to reassure everyone. I am doing very well. The press caused a scandal with an illness that happened to me…”