Once One of Hollywood’s Most Handsome Men, Alain Delon Lives a Reclusive Life After Stroke

 

Once hailed as one of the most good-looking men in the world, the 88-year-old French actor Alain Delon now lives a completely different life than he once did under Hollywood’s spotlight.

 
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Life Post-Stroke & A Secluded Estate

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 19: Alain Delon attends the premiere of the movie "A Hidden Life" during the 72nd Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2019 in Cannes, France.
Source: Shutterstock

The “Flic Story” star, known for his awareness of his own handsomeness, now lives reclusively in his home after suffering a stroke in 2019. This incident occurred just weeks after he received an honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in France.

Delon’s home, situated behind a grand stone wall that spans 1.4 miles (2.3km), boasts a sprawling estate called La Brûlerie. Located 86.99 miles (140km) southeast of Paris, near the village of Douchy-Montcorbon in the Loiret department of central France, the estate offers a peaceful retreat for the actor.

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Final Resting Place

Alain Delon with daughter, Anouchka Delon
Image Credit: anouchkadelon Instagram

More than just his home, La Brûlerie is where Alain Delon wishes to be buried. According to sources, the estate includes a chapel situated on the grounds of a cemetery he built. This cemetery is the resting place for over 30 of his beloved hounds, highlighting the actor’s deep affection for his pets.

Life Between Cities & Familial Disputes

Alain Delon
Image Credit: anouchkadelon Instagra

Though Delon’s primary residence is in France, reports indicate that he splits his time between his workspace in Paris, his apartment in Geneva, and his home in Douchy. Apart from planning his burial grounds, Alain Delon has been dealing with a contentious familial issue. His three children are embroiled in public disputes over their father and his assets, resulting in legal battles and media attention.

Calls for Peace, A Father’s Favorite

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 19, 2019: Alain Delon attends the photocall for Palme D'Or D'Honneur during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival
Source: Shutterstock

Delon’s lawyer, Christophe Ayela, has been trying to mediate peace among the siblings. “It has to stop and everyone needs to calm down. That’s enough now,” Ayela chastised, urging the family to resolve their differences.

Adding complexity to the familial tension is Alain Delon’s favoritism towards his daughter, Anouchka. “I have a daughter who is the love of my life, perhaps a little too much with regard to the others,” he confessed. “To no other woman have I so often said I love you,” he professed in 2008, indicating a strained relationship with his sons.

Anouchka’s Tribute

French actor Alain Delon
Image Credit: anouchkadelon Instagram

Anouchka recently took to Instagram to post a loving tribute to her father, providing fans with an update on his current condition. She shared a heartfelt message alongside a picture of Delon, praising his “handsome” appearance and “vivid” spirit. “My own immortal,” she wrote, adding that Delon reassured his audience with, “Don’t worry.”

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Supportive Fans

Viersen, Germany - March 9. 2024: Photo of german actress Romy Schneider and french actor Alain Delon in car in 50s (focus on center)
Source: Shutterstock

Delon’s admirers responded warmly to Anouchka’s post. “He is beautiful and lovely as always, please be [by] his side, he needs you more than anyone,” gushed one fan. Fellow French actor Gilles Marini also expressed support, saying, “Stay close. ❤️ Full of love. Nothing else matters.”

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 19, 2019:  Alain Delon attends the screening of "A Hidden Life (Une Vie Cachée)" during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival
Source: Shutterstock

Despite their disputes, Anouchka and her brothers, Anthony and Alain-Fabien Delon, agree on the importance of their father’s wellbeing. A French news outlet reported that in March, they requested that their father be placed under a “reinforced curatorship” for better medical and financial oversight.

Their request was approved in April, appointing a curator to oversee Delon’s finances and medical needs. The identity of the curator remains unknown. With possibilities including one of his children or Hiromi Rollin, described as Delon’s “lady in waiting.”

Future of Delon’s Company

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 19, 2019:  Alain Delon attends the screening of "A Hidden Life (Une Vie Cachée)" during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival
Source: Shutterstock

With the curatorship in place, Delon will no longer make decisions for his company, Alain Delon International Diffusion SA. Where he is President and Anouchka is Vice President. Despite the ongoing family drama, Delon remains focused on his present and future. In a 2021 interview, he expressed his desire to make one last movie. Confident it could be his best work yet. “In my life, what I loved most was being Alain Delon, the actor Alain Delon,” he reflected.

Reflecting on His Prime – A Legacy of Seduction

Alain Delon with daughter, Anouchka Delon
Image Credit: anouchkadelon Instagram

Delon fondly recalled his prime years. “Look at Rocco [And His Brothers], look at Purple Noon! The women were all obsessed with me,” he said, reminiscing about his youthful allure and the motivation women provided him. Delon’s commitment to looking better than anyone else earned him the title of “most seductive man in cinema” at 25 and comparisons to Brigitte Bardot, one of cinema’s most iconic “It” girls.

Bardot’s Personal Life – Acknowledging Her Wellbeing

Viersen, Germany - May 9. 2024: Detail of official Contempt (Le Mepris) Cinema film poster with Brigitte Bardot from 1963  (focus on center)
Source: Shutterstock

Brigitte Bardot, known for her roles and sultry confidence, was a contemporary of Delon. She is revered as one of the sexiest female stars of the 20th century and an avid animal rights activist. Bardot, affectionately nicknamed BB, has been married to Bernard d’Ormale for 31 years.

Despite health scares, including a sedative overdose in 1992 and respiratory problems due to a heatwave in 2023, she remains a beloved figure. Supported by her husband. Bardot reassured fans about her health in a handwritten note, emphasizing her resilience and dispelling rumors about her condition. Her enduring fame and advocacy continue to inspire admiration from the public.

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Sources

  1. French Acting Icon Alain Delon Placed Under Legal Protection Amid Family Feud” DeadLine. Melanie Goodfellow. January 29, 2024.
  2. French actor Alain Delon to file legal complaint against son over ‘media outburst’” The Guardian. Agence France. January 4, 2024.
  3. Secret recordings and ‘dripping insinuations’: the bitter feud between French film star Alain Delon’s children” The Guardian. Kim Willsher. January 20, 2024.
  4. “Once One of the Most Handsome Men, This Hollywood Legend, 88, Lives Reclusively after a Stroke amid His Kids’ Bitter Feud” Amo Mama. Taitirwa Sehliselwe Murape. April 26, 2024.