PARIS, FR (CelebrityAccess) – Britsh-born actress and singer Jane Birkin was found dead at home in Paris on Sunday (July 16). President Emmanuel Macron of France confirmed her death in a message posted on Twitter. Her cause of death has not been revealed.
Parce qu’elle incarnait la liberté, qu’elle chantait les plus beaux mots de notre langue, Jane Birkin était une icône française.
Artiste complète, sa voix était aussi douce que ses engagements étaient ardents.
Elle nous lègue des airs et des images qui ne nous quitteront pas. pic.twitter.com/Ad27ngF54R
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 16, 2023
Born Jane Mallory Birkin in London on December 14, 1946, Birkin settled in France and was known for her musical and romantic relationship with French musician Serge Gainsbourg, with whom she collaborated for her hit song, “Je t’aime moi non plus” (“I Love You, Me Neither”). The song was considered so erotic and sensual in its time that the Vatican banned it in Italy.
Birkin and Gainsbourg split in 1980 after 12 years, but the relationship resulted in a daughter, an actress and singer, Charlotte Gainsbourg. Gainsbourg passed away at the age of 62 in 1991.
Birkin, largely considered to have paved the way for what is now regarded as French chic (long flowing hair, bangs, jeans, white shirts, basket bags), was the inspiration behind the iconic Hermès Birkin bag, released in 1984.
Birkin also has a daughter, Lou Doillon, with French filmmaker Jacques Doillon and the late Kate Barry, a photographer, with British composer John Barry. She passed away in 2013 after a fall from the window of her apartment in Paris. She was 46.
In recent years, Birkin’s health has been a concern, causing her to cancel shows after suffering from a mild stroke in 2021. After breaking her shoulder blade this March, Birkin canceled her shows again.
She is survived by her two daughters, Lou and Charlotte and is preceded in death by her daughter, Kate.
RIP
