French actor Alain Delon has died aged 88, his family said.
Delon died at his home in Douchy, central France, according to a statement his children gave to the French news agency AFP on Sunday.
“Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony, as well as (his dog) Loubo, are deeply saddened to announce the passing of their father,” the statement said.
“He passed away peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family,” it continued.
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Delon starred in a string of classics and became one of the 20th century’s foremost leading men thanks to his roles in hit films such as “Le Samouraï,” “Rocco and His Brothers,” and “The Leopard.”
French President Emmanuel Macron led tributes to the actor following the news of his death.
In a post shared to X, formerly Twitter, Macron described Delon as a “French monument.”
“Alain Delon has played legendary roles and made the world dream,” he added. “Melancholic, popular, secretive, he was more than a star.”
Delon had been in poor health since experiencing a stroke in 2019, per AFP.
In the past few years, Delon’s three surviving children had been caught up in a bitter public dispute over his health and care, accusing each other of mistreating their father amid his declining health.
Delon also had a fourth child, Ari Boulogne, born to Nico of the Velvet Underground, to whom he never acknowledged his paternity. Boulogne died in 2023.
While Delon appeared in some of the greatest European films of the 1960s and 1970s, his biggest box office hit came late in his career when he played Julius Cesar in the 2008 comic book adaptation “Asterix at the Olympic Games,” which grossed more than $130 million worldwide.
Delon made his last major public appearance at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 when he received an honorary Palme d’Or for his contribution to cinema.
The celebration was marred with controversy as women’s rights groups urged Cannes not to go ahead with the move over past comments Delon made about slapping women, his opposition to the adoption of children by same-sex parents, and his support of the far right’s rise in France, Variety reported.
At the event, Delon made an emotional speech in which he appeared to bid farewell to cinema.
“It’s a bit of a posthumous tribute, but from my lifetime,” he said. “I am going to leave, but I won’t leave without thanking you.”a
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