Actress and singer Jane Birkin, who France charmed with her English grace, her natural style and her French accents and who took up residence in the country, died at the age of 76.
The London-born star and fashion icon was known for her musical and romantic relationship with French singer Serge Gainsbourg. Their songs notably included the searing “Je t’aime moi non plus” (“I love you, me no more”), with Birkin’s ethereal British-accented singing voice intertwined with his gruff baritone.
The style that Birkin flaunted in the 1960s and early 1970s – long hair with bangs, jeans paired with white tops, knit mini-dresses and basket bags – still epitomizes the pinnacle of French chic for many women. worldwide.
Birkin was also celebrated in France for her political activism. In 2022, she joins other film and music stars in France by cutting strands of their hair in support of protesters in Iran. Charlotte Gainsbourg, Birkin’s daughter with Gainsbourg and also an actress in her own right, cut a lock of her mother’s hair for the “HairForFreedom” campaign when Iran was engulfed by anti-government protests.
French President Emmanuel Macron hailed Birkin as a “complete artist”.
“Jane Birkin was a French icon because she embodied freedom, sang the most beautiful words of our language,” he tweeted.
French media reported that Birkin was found dead at her Paris home. France’s culture ministry tweeted that Birkin died on Sunday. He hailed her as a “timeless Francophone icon”.
Birkin’s early credits included “Blow-Up” in 1966, credited with helping to introduce French audiences to her “Swinging Sixties” style and beauty.
Birkin and Gainsbourg met two years later. She remained his muse even after the couple separated in 1980.
She also had a daughter, Kate, with James Bond composer John Barry. Kate Barry died in 2013 at the age of 46. Birkin had her third daughter, singer and model Lou Doillon, with French director Jacques Doillon.
French newspaper Le Figaro reported that Birkin had suffered from health problems in recent years which prevented her from performing and her public appearances became rare.
BFM TV said Birkin suffered a mild stroke in 2021, forcing her to cancel shows that year. She canceled her shows again in March due to a broken shoulder blade.
A return to the stage in May has been postponed, the French broadcaster said, quoting the singer as saying she needed a bit more time and promising her fans she would see them again in the fall.
