On July 2, 45-year-old Vanessa Paradis was officially married for the first time in her life to screenwriter and director Samuel Benchetrit. Before they met, both experienced more than one tragedy and a lot of disappointments. the site decided to remember the difficult path that the lovers went through to be together.
In November 2016, the French media published news that shattered the already barely glimmering hopes of fans for the reunion of Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp. It turned out that the singer is not at all going to return to her ex, because she is dating 43-year-old cinematographer Samuel Benchetrit. They met on the set of the film adaptation of his novel “Dog,” where Vanessa was assigned the main role. This is how their story began.
Very little was known about the French novel. Judging by the photo, only one conclusion could be drawn: these two were enjoying each other's company. And on the red carpet, which Vanessa and Samuel certainly went out together, they kept exchanging tender glances.
The engagement became known in January of this year - of course, from an insider - and a few months later they got married. The bride and groom decided not to have a grand ceremony, invited about fifty guests and modestly signed in the town hall of the village of Saint-Simeon, located near Paris.
The location was not chosen by chance: it is here that the restaurant that Paradis’ father owned until his death last year is located.
So what do lovers have in common? Looking back and delving into the recent past, the site found out that in addition to love for each other and loyalty to the world of art, the newlyweds are also united by a special tragedy that accompanied both of them through life.
Girl with sad eyes
Despite high-profile romances and a 14-year civil marriage with the most sought-after (for the time being) actor of our time, Vanessa, alas, cannot boast of a happy female destiny. Paradis met her first boyfriend, 27-year-old singer Florent Pagny, when she was only sixteen years old.
The girl, who had recently become famous after the release of the song Joe le Taxi, told her parents that from now on she was going to lead an independent life and ran away with a man. Florent and Vanessa lived together for three years. At that time, the musician’s popularity began to decline, but the fame of his underage lover, on the contrary, acquired more and more “adult” proportions. Pagni was jealous of her fans and increasingly started scandals out of the blue. The young singer did not tolerate her boyfriend’s antics and left him.
Vanessa's second great love was Lenny Kravitz, with whom she dated for five years. In 1992, the musician was supposed to produce her album, the girl went to New York for a few weeks, but stayed there for six months... By the way, Kravitz at that time was still officially married to Lisa Bonet - the singer divorced the actress a year after the start of the affair from Paradis. None of them commented on their relationship, and only twelve years after the breakup, Lenny admitted that Vanessa appeared in his life at the most inopportune moment.
She probably felt it too: after he introduced her to Johnny Depp, the singer made her choice.
Like every girl who dated Johnny, Vanessa faced the envy, and at the same time the hatred of a huge number of women in love with him. The public wondered what the sexy Depp found in the unremarkable and unknown Paradis? She wasted no time and, shortly after the start of the affair, became pregnant with her eldest daughter, Lily-Rose, and then with her son, Jack. Meanwhile, Johnny was not going to get married, and Vanessa, like a true Frenchwoman, so proud and independent, did not insist on this out loud. They carefully hid the details of their personal lives from the press and gave the impression of a strong couple. In public, Depp and Paradis behaved as if they had been married for a long time - it seemed that the spouses did not need a marriage certificate at all. “Johnny is not my husband,” Vanessa constantly repeated, repeating over and over again that registering a marriage was an empty formality. And he has repeatedly argued that a loving couple like them does not need a piece of paper.
At the same time, behind this glossy façade there was a lot of unpleasantness hidden. Lily-Rose had kidney problems and an eating disorder, and Johnny regularly drank from the bottle. Rumor has it that Vanessa was not averse to keeping her lover company. Both insiders and simply idle gossips whispered about this, never missing an opportunity to discuss the singer’s appearance. Despite seemingly unlimited possibilities, at some point she lost her half-childish charm and freshness and began to look much older than her years. You know how the couple’s relationship ended: Depp left Paradis for young Amber Heard and quickly changed his bachelor views by marrying her. By the way, the former lover never said a bad word to the actor. She even began to defend him when Amber accused her husband of assault.
After breaking up with Johnny, Vanessa was not alone for long. While Depp was showering his new lover with diamonds, she began an affair with French musician Benjamin Biolet. The man, who before meeting the singer dated Carla Bruni and was married to Chiara Mastroianni, a year after the start of the affair, checked another box and left Paradis for her friend Anna Mouglalis. Since then, we have not seen photographs of women together. However, Vanessa doesn’t put a finger in her mouth, and she wounded her ex-friend with her own weapon, having married her former common-law husband Samuel Benchetrit.
Tragic love
While her Russian fans know everything about Vanessa’s past, most of us only heard about Samuel the year before last.
He was born into a poor Jewish-Gypsy family in the suburbs of Paris. His father was a mechanic, and his mother was a housewife, so Benchetrit had almost no money. At the age of fifteen, the boy was forced to leave school and go to work. A ticket cashier at a cinema, a photographer, an assistant cameraman - Samuel tried to break into the film industry by any means. He wanted to become a director and even tried to write plays.
At the age of nineteen, he began to stage them in the theater, and Jean-Louis and Marie Trintignant, members of a famous bohemian family in France, played in several performances. Jean-Louis was an actor who played the main male role in the film “A Man and a Woman,” his wife Nadine was a director and screenwriter, and their daughter Marie was already a famous actress at that time.
“I’m not a seducer,” Samuel said much later in an interview. - I met Marie when I was only nineteen years old. She made me believe in myself. My father was a mechanic, and I was programmed from childhood to work in a garage. And she said: “You can write and film, go and work.” By the way, then Trintignant was already thirty years old, and she was the mother of three sons from different men - Roman from musician Richard Kolinka, Paul from actor Francois Cluzet and Leon from Mathias Otnin-Girard.
Young Benchetrit was not at all embarrassed by this fact, he plunged headlong into a new relationship, and soon proposed to his beloved.
In 1998, the couple had a son, Jules, and four years later, Marie left Samuel for the bad guy, rock musician Bertrand Cant. They dated for only six months, but their relationship instantly became the property of all of France. In July 2003, Marie was in Vilnius filming her mother's film. Bertrand also arrived there. One evening he got very drunk, began to beat Marie and caused her a severe head injury. The actress was in a coma for several days, the best neurosurgeons in Europe fought for her life, but still could not save her. As the examination showed, Trintignant lay unconscious for at least five hours, during which time it was possible to save her. Kanta himself stated that he did not plan to kill his beloved. “It all happened in a moment of madness,” he said. “We drank with Marie, and I don’t remember anything else.” There are rumors that the reason for the musician’s outburst was another message from Marie from Samuel, who could not forget her. Whether this is so, we will never know.
In 2004, Kanta was sentenced to eight years in prison and was paroled in October 2007 for good behavior.
A year after the death of his beloved, the director began an affair with the French actress Lou Doillon, and after some time with Anna Mouglalis, who gave birth to his daughter Soul and raised his son Jules. Benchetrit directed his beloved in several films, but after six years of romance they broke up. After the breakup, Anna got married, divorced, and then briefly dated Benjamin Biolet, who left Vanessa Paradis for her.
Can't bear to get married?
Despite the fact that women were not indifferent to Benchetrit, love for Marie always reigned in his heart. In 2016, he even published a book, “A Night with My Wife,” in which he talked about their relationship.
“I want to say that Marie and I’s story is not over. She’s still with me,” Samuel told reporters at the time.
Both the confessional interview and the release of the director’s book took place just a few months before meeting Vanessa. It seems that these two turned each other's world upside down: Benchetrit was able to forget Marie, and Paradis believed in the institution of marriage. “I know so many unhappy married couples... Marriage has no meaning to me. All I need is love,” the singer said several years ago. Well, let's hope she found it. New love - new rules!
Fragile and tender, able to be restrained and uninhibited, equally convincing in the role of a meek angel and a daring seductress, the French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis is the idol of millions of people around the world. Literally flying to the top of the world charts at the age of 14, she happily avoided the unenviable fate of becoming a “star of one song.” Constantly in creative search, not afraid to discover new facets in herself, conquering the stage, cinema, and modeling business with equal success, she convincingly proved: youth passes, but talent remains.
Read a short biography of Vanessa Paradis and many interesting facts about the singer on our page.
short biography
Considering the circumstances surrounding the birth and childhood of the future French pop star, we can say that Vanessa Paradis had no choice but to one day go on stage and understand that this was her destiny.
Vanessa Chantal Paradis was born on December 22, 1972 in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés in a family where an atmosphere of creativity reigned, and the professional interests of its adult representatives were concentrated in the field of show business.
Her parents received a directing education, worked as designers, and her uncle was an actor and producer. It was he who initiated the first appearance of seven-year-old Vanessa on television as a participant in a singing competition. The debut was successful. Having felt the taste of fame for the first time at such a young age, the girl began to dream of becoming a singer. Parents, encouraging their daughter’s desire to enter the professional stage, took her to a vocal and dance studio.
In 1987, 14-year-old Vanessa sang the simple but fiery song “Joe le Taxi” (“Taxi Driver Joe”). When the composition was recorded in the studio, hardly anyone, including the performer, could have imagined that they were witnessing the birth of a hit that was destined to become a pop music classic. The success of the song was deafening. A teenage girl, whose name no one knew a week ago, has fallen into incredible fame. Vanessa herself recalls that, having returned from vacation after recording a song, she suddenly found her face on all the magazine covers. The singer’s disc “M&J”, released the following year, only consolidated the initial success. Based on sales results for 8 months, this album by Vanessa Paradis became platinum. The life of the young singer was divided into two parts. Gone are childhood, school, and peers with their teenage hobbies.
In the present there was a stage, performances, tours and ever-increasing popularity, which brought Vanessa not only moments of joy, but also a lot of grief. In addition to enthusiastic fans, she had many critics and ill-wishers. In many ways, their attacks were provoked by the release of the film “White Wedding” directed by Jean-Claude Brissot, where the 17-year-old singer got the main but controversial role. Explicit scenes with the participation of the young star caused a flurry of negative reviews addressed to her. The older part of the female audience accused the girl of promiscuity and immorality. Even the fact that she was awarded the Cesar prize for her work in this film as the best debutante did not save the situation.
The first cinematic experience turned out to be so bitter that over the next few years, Paradis categorically rejected all attempts to involve her in the process of the next filming. During this period, she completely focused on music. In 1990, she completed work on her second song album, “Variations Sur Le Meme T"aime,” which was created with the participation of the eminent poet and composer Serge Gainsbourg, and after another two years the third was recorded. It was produced by Lenny Kravitz, and all the songs played in it were exclusively in English.
In 1993 and 1994, Vanessa actively toured, she performed more than 70 concerts in her homeland and in Europe, including on the stage of the most famous concert hall in Paris, the Olympia. The public accepts her with a bang, forgetting that they had recently thrown stones at her. Perhaps the fact of universal recognition helped Vanessa overcome the internal psychological barrier that she had erected between herself and the world of the film industry. One way or another, in 1995 she returned to cinema. She brilliantly brought to life the dramatically complex image of the main character in the film Eliza, strengthening her reputation as an outstanding actress. Two years later, she appeared on the silver screen as a charming witch in the comedy “Witchcraft Love,” and a year later the action comedy “One Chance for Two” was released, in which she also played the main role. Despite the fact that both films were complete failures at the box office, critics unanimously recognized the acting performance of the matured Paradis as brilliant. Since then, she has successfully divided her working time and professional interests between pop and cinema, still giving preference to music and considering herself first and foremost a singer, and then an actress.
Today, Vanessa Paradis has roles in 21 films and 11 solo music albums. The last studio disc, “Love songs,” was recorded in 2013.
Interesting Facts
- In her childhood, Vanessa Paradis' idols were James Dean and Marilyn Monroe.
- The name Paradis means "paradise" in French.
- Restraint is one of the key qualities of Vanessa's nature. The reluctance to share details of his creative and, most importantly, personal life contributed to the emergence of a saying among French journalists: “Doing an interview with Paradis is like conquering Everest.”
- The singer does not suffer from addiction to new information technologies. She prefers real communication, and instead of emails, she prefers to send real letters and congratulations.
- Vanessa Paradis treats her children very kindly. Among the treasures that are dear to her heart is a necklace made as a child from pasta by her son Jack. The singer always carries this craft with her.
- Vanessa Paradis pays great attention to sports, in particular yoga. The result is obvious - with a height of 160 cm, the singer’s weight ranges from 43 to 49 kg.
- One of the world fashion trendsetters, Karl Lagelfeld, calls her his muse.
- The singer dedicated her album “Bliss” to her family – her husband Johnny Depp and their daughter Lily-Rose Melody.
- The 90s marked the beginning of Paradis’ collaboration with the Chanel brand. Her image was chosen to advertise the L'Esprit de Chanel fragrance. Today, the famous Frenchwoman is a regular participant in advertising projects of the fashion house.
- For her fragility and blond curls, fans nicknamed Vanessa Paradis “little angel.”
- Among Paradis' favorite composers and singers are Mozart, Pavarotti, and the rock group the Rolling Stones.
- The actress's partners on the set were the masters of French cinema - Alain Delon, Gerard Depardieu, Jean-Paul Belmondo.
- Her favorite dog breed is Labrador. At one time she had a Labrador named Nelson.
- Vanessa Paradis is one of those rare women who can easily go out without makeup. The singer is convinced that off stage the skin needs to breathe.
- In the Austrian-Swiss film “The Chess Pawn,” released in 1995, Vanessa Paradis acts as one of the film’s composers.
- Vanessa Paradis has been chosen as the "voice" of Paris Airport. Since 2008, it is in her voice that announcements at the airport are read.
The best songs of Vanessa Paradis
« Joe le taxi". Back in 1985, composer Frank Langolf accidentally heard 12-year-old Vanessa Paradis in a recording studio. The girl attracted the attention of Langolf, and he made a vow that someday he would definitely give one of his new songs to the young singer. So in 1987, “Joe le taxi” (“Taxi Driver Joe”) appeared, created by him together with Etienne Rodot-Gilles. For “Joe le taxi,” the composer chose a rumba rhythm, which was justified by the content - the text talked about the daily work of a Parisian taxi driver who was a passionate lover of Latin American music. The song mentions the names of famous performers - musician Xavier Cugat and singer Ima Sumac. But it was Vanessa who made this simple song a hit - her youthful charm, spontaneity, and angelic timbre of her voice.The song “Joe le taxi” was first performed on April 27, 1987 and in a matter of days won recognition not only among the French public, where it broke all popularity records, but also in Britain, confidently taking third place in the charts.The singer admits: when journalists and fans ask what she thinks about this song now, she invariably answers that she loves it and feels proud of it. “Now I won’t be able to sing it the same way as then - during this time my voice has changed and become stronger. But I was never ashamed of her,” says Vanessa.
“Joe le taxi” (listen)
« La Seine"("Seine"). In 2011, the premiere of the animated film “Monster in Paris” took place, in which one of the most striking songs in Paradis’ repertoire “La Seine” (“The Seine”) was performed. Its author was the French performer and musician Mathieu Chedid, who worked on the music for the cartoon. It was his idea to invite a French pop star to the creative team of the project. At the same time, Vanessa had to not only sing, but also show her acting skills, since she fully voiced the main character of the anime - Lucille, a singer at the variety show. The song quickly became popular and sold almost 200 thousand copies. Two videos were created for this composition, in one of which Vanessa appeared as Lucille.
"La Seine" (listen)
Personal life
For a long time, the focus of attention of admirers of Vanessa Paradis’ talent was not only the singer’s work, but also the incredibly beautiful love story that happened in her life. The Frenchwoman's chosen one was one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood, Johnny Depp. The first time their paths crossed was in 1992, when Vanessa arrived in Los Angeles to discuss another creative project with producers. This meeting was fleeting, but not accidental. Subsequently, the actor admitted that a glance was enough for him to feel something special in this unfamiliar girl. In 1998, Depp came to Paris to film The Ninth Gate by Roman Polanski. At one of the parties in a bar, he again met a charming green-eyed Frenchwoman, and although his heart was not free at that time, all previous relationships suddenly ceased to be important to him. Even the cast on the actress’s leg did not prevent the sudden outbreak of sympathy - shortly before this fateful meeting, Vanessa fell unsuccessfully during filming.
If you believe the statement that opposites attract, this is exactly what happened to young people. 36-year-old Johnny Depp at that time had not yet reached the peak of his popularity. He had a reputation as a rebel and a hooligan, wasting his life at Hollywood parties and parties and had absolutely no desire to tie the knot. Vanessa, at 26 years old, had already had a full taste of fame, including the inevitable fly in the ointment, and was striving for a serious relationship. But the obvious dissimilarity of upbringing and views did not prevent the two creative personalities from becoming one of the most beautiful and lasting couples in the world of show business. In this marital union, the best qualities of both were revealed, and those around them could only be surprised, observing the transformation of the extravagant Depp into a caring, attentive family man.
The actors never legalized their relationship, but the best proof of their sincere love for each other was the birth of children -daughter Lily-Rose Melody in 1999 and son Jack in 2002. It is not surprising that for fans of the star couple, the news came out of the blue that the famous actors and spouses were breaking up. In 2012, after 14 years of civil marriage, their union broke up. Both had enough tact, decency and mutual respect to refrain from any kind of comments about the breakup and maintain friendly relations, emphasizing in every possible way that they were still connected by children.
After breaking up with Depp, two short-term romances happened in the life of Vanessa Paradis. Today, gossip columns associate the name of the 44-year-old actress with the French screenwriter and director Samuel Benchetrit, in whose film Paradis is currently starring. But the actress is true to herself - she does not comment on the new relationship, preferring not to flaunt her personal life.
Triumph in Cannes
At the recently held 70th anniversary film festival in Cannes, the premiere screening of the drama by Lithuanian director Sarunas Bartas “Rime” was a huge success. The film tells about the war in Donbass, and Vanessa Paradis played the main role in it. Despite the fact that the actress’s fee was far from the highest, she agreed to film in this international project without hesitation. Paradis plays a journalist who works in eastern Ukraine, located directly in the war zone. By the way, during filming, the actress categorically forbade everyone, including members of the film crew, to take photographs of herself. Filming took place not only in Ukraine, but also in Poland, Lithuania, and France. During this period, Paradis visited Kyiv several times. The work of Bartas and all the film’s creators earned the most enthusiastic praise from viewers and colleagues. The audience gave a standing ovation and expressed their emotions by shouting “Bravo!”
Filmography
- 1989 - “White Wedding” (France)
- 1994 - “Elise” (France)
- 1997 - “Witchcraft love” (France)
- 1998 - “One chance for two” (France), “Pleasure” (France, Italy, Luxembourg)
- 1999 - “Girl on the Bridge” (France)
- 2004 - “Atomic Circus: The Return of James Battle” (France, Germany, UK), “My Angel” (France, Belgium)
- 2005 - “Magic Adventure”, cartoon, voice acting (Great Britain, France)
- 2006 - “Pink Soldier” (France)
- 2007 - “The Key” (France)
- 2010 - “Monster in Paris”, cartoon, voice acting (France), “Heartbreaker” (France, Monaco)
- 2011 - “Café de Flor” (Canada, France)
- 2012 - “Flamingo Dubai” (France, Portugal, UAE), “My Little Deeds” (France), “Cronuel” (France)
- 2013 - “Under the Mask of a Gigolo” (USA)
- 2014 - “Beauties in Paris” (France), “Rio, I love you” (Brazil, USA)
- 2015 - “Yoganuts” (USA)
Vanessa Paradis is still a very popular actress today. In 2017, she was busy in three film projects at once, in each of which she had a central role - “Chien” (“Dog”), “Maryline” and “Rime”.
Songs by Vanessa Paradis heard in films
|
Movie |
Composition |
|
"Atlantis" (documentary), 1991 |
"Time To Get Your Lovin'" |
|
"One chance for two", 1998 |
"Happy Birthday to You" |
|
"Tom Thumb", 2001 |
"La Lune Brille Pour Toi" |
|
"Ha-Shminiya", 2006 |
"Be My Baby" |
|
"Thelma, Louise and Chantal", 2010 |
"Tous les garçons et les filles" |
|
"The Secret Diary of a Call Girl", 2011 |
"I y a" |
|
"Monster in Paris", 2011 |
"La Seine and I cabaret", "Lucille "Le Baptême", "La Seine", "Papa Panâme (Papa Paris)", "Just a Little Kiss", "La Seine and I" |
|
“Under the Mask of a Gigolo”, 2013 |
"Tu si" na Cosa Grande" |
|
“Sorry for Love”, 2014 |
"Divine Idylie" |
|
"Rio, I love you", 2014 |
"Plus D'amour" |
Vanessa Paradis's creative career is in its prime. Given the singer's amazing performance and talent for transformation, there is no doubt that she will surprise her loyal fans more than once - both on stage and on the silver screen.
Video: listen to Vanessa Paradis
Celebrity biographies
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22.12.14 13:49
There was a time when a 16-year-old girl was openly hated by respectable matrons of her compatriots - they could spit after her and send curses. This was the reaction of the audience to explicit scenes with the participation of the young actress. But Vanessa was awarded a prestigious Cesar award for her role in “The White Wedding.”
Biography of Vanessa Paradis
In show business - almost from the cradle
She was born on December 22, 1972 in the suburbs of Paris into a family that had been “cooking” in the cauldron of show business for a long time. Vanessa Chantal's father, mother and uncle were sure that the girl would follow in their footsteps. They could be proud of her first performance on television - seven-year-old Paradis behaved very confidently. But it was a solid television competition. The girl became famous at 14 by singing a song about taxi driver Joe. The video clip of this hit (the author of which was the singer’s uncle) was endlessly played on European channels. A year later, Vanessa's album was released. This disc, called “M&J,” went platinum.
And in 1989, she starred in that very film, which brought her both fame and shame. Vanessa's little sister, Alison, had to leave college because she was teased as a "whore sister." Brissot's drama "White Wedding" was another version of the "Lolita" theme: the unbalanced 17-year-old Mathilde seduces her teacher (who is already over 50). The too natural episodes of sex between these characters outraged the public.
Return to screen
Unable to withstand this persecution, Vanessa took a long (five-year) break from filmmaking: the promising actress was invited by masters: John Boorman, the Spaniard Almadovar, but she decided to completely immerse herself in music. She went to America, released several discs and became a model for Chanel.
The girl thought for a long time whether to star in the film “Eliza” (she had already rejected many scripts in which she was offered to again portray depraved and eccentric girls). This time Vanessa was frightened by something else - the main male role was to be played by Gerard Depardieu. Will she be able to match the master? She agreed. And although this film also had enough eroticism, Paradis refused to undress for too revealing episodes. But she still left some - the performer found them touching.
Personal life of Vanessa Paradis
A beautiful novel...
The trips to New York were not in vain. It was there that the actress met the love of her life. In France, they were racking their brains about who Vanessa was “breathing unevenly” towards? No interviews or photos, everything was hidden in secrecy for quite a long time.
But then, in the early 1990s, Johnny had other girls. The affair with Kate Moss captivated him, and then the “airy” Vanessa appeared on the horizon with her French accent and unique charm. It was so romantic: all these meetings and partings, she was torn between Paris and her loved one.
Paradis bewitched the Hollywood star, as if the gift of her heroine, the witch Morgan, whom she played in the fantasy “Sorcerous Love,” had passed on to her. This sorceress had a little son whom she must protect from a sorcerer (Jean Reno). After the release of the film, the actress said that she really enjoyed being a mother on screen. And then she became her in real life - in May 1999, Vanessa and Johnny had a daughter, Lily. Now this beauty is also acting in films.
At the end of the 1990s, the most famous films with Paradis' participation came - the melodrama "Girl on the Bridge", which brought her a Cesar, and, of course, the crime comedy "One Chance for Two", in which the actress worked with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon. In April 2002, an heir appeared in the family - his father's namesake, John.
...And an unexpected breakup
The photo sessions of this touching quartet were sweet, it seemed that their happiness knew no bounds, and finally the Hollywood heartthrob had calmed down.
Not so! Vanessa and her common-law husband, who have known each other for almost 20 years (of which they have lived together for more than fifteen years), announced their separation. They did not make a scandal, they separated peacefully, Depp even bought his former life partner and children a Hollywood mansion.
Johnny is considered to be the initiator of the breakup, because he cheated on his wife with his young co-star in “The Rum Diary,” Amber Heard. Vanessa was comforted in the arms of businessman Guy-David Gharbi. But this connection was short-lived. Already at the end of 2012, she had a new boyfriend - singer Benjamin Biole. True, this novel is also behind us.
When Heard filed for divorce and accused Depp of domestic violence, Vanessa acted like a true friend: she stood up for Johnny, saying that he was not capable of such a thing. Apparently, Paradis still has feelings for her ex-boyfriend!
Today, any mention in the press of the name of the singer and actress Vanessa Paradis is accompanied by the constant epithets “gorgeous,” “brilliant,” or “charming,” and she herself is considered an icon of sophistication and style, but there were also times when she received less flattering reviews , although it’s not easy to believe. In her youth Vanessa Paradis, having barely entered the acting path, she was subjected to incredibly harsh criticism from the public in her native France. The echoes of this criticism hit not only herself, but also her family members.
Vanessa Paradis was born almost 44 years ago. Childhood photos of the future star eloquently indicate that nature did not deprive the young Frenchwoman of beauty and charm. And the girl’s musical talents began to manifest themselves in childhood. Vanessa Paradis' parents helped her to build a career on the stage. The first success came at the age of 14 with the song that became a real hit around the world - “Joe Le Taxi”.
However, literally a few years later, universal adoration gave way to indignation and anger, the cause of which was explicit scenes with a naked young star in the film “White Wedding.” It seemed that this was the collapse of all hopes and the entire future, but this moment also played into the hands of Vanessa Paradis in her youth, since for the next few years the image of a young rebel became her unique calling card. Perhaps not everyone liked it, but they continued to talk about the singer and actress without forgetting about her.
In the photo - Vanessa Paradis and Lenny Kravitz
The personal life of Vanessa Paradis in her youth also matched the created image. At the age of 16, the celebrity ran away from her parents' house. The aspiring actress began an affair with an influential businessman who was much older than her in years. At the age of 20, she gave her affection to Lenny Kravitz, the union with whom became not only romantic, but also creative.
In the photo - Vanessa Paradis with Johnny Depp
And, of course, the longest and most discussed was the affair with Johnny Depp, which ended in separation just a few years ago. Next to the actor, Vanessa Paradis grew up, experiencing the joy of motherhood. True, growing up had virtually no effect on her preferences in clothing and style - the actress still boldly combines styles and is not afraid of experiments. However, outwardly the heroine of our article now only vaguely resembles that Vanessa Paradis in her youth, whom men called only “angel.”
Vanessa Paradis – one might say, was “doomed” to become a star. Born into a bohemian family, Vanessa Paradis already began to reveal her talents as a child. So, at the age of 7, the girl got on television, and at 14 she recorded her first song, which later became a hit. At the same time, the biography and personal life of Vanessa Paradis are quite contradictory.
- Real name: Vanessa Chantal Paradis
- Date of birth: 12/22/1972
- Zodiac sign: Capricorn
- Height: 160 centimeters
- Weight: 46 kilograms
- Waist and hips: 56 and 86.5 centimeters
- Shoe size: 37 (EUR)
- Eye and hair color: Green, brown.
Vanessa Paradis was interested in art from an early age. This is exactly how the biography of the future celebrity begins, with her craving for dancing and vocals, which was supported in every possible way by her family. And how could it have been different with parents who were directors? Not to mention the fact that our heroine’s uncle is the famous actor and producer Didier Payne. It was largely thanks to his help that the fourteen-year-old, then unknown girl, managed to publish her first hit, Joe le Taxi, which was later destined to become a pop music classic.
Success in cinema
As an actress, Vanessa Paradis first announced herself in 1989, playing the main role in the film “White Wedding.” And although this debut of a 17-year-old girl was awarded a Cesar award, the too frank scenes of the film echoed for a long time to our heroine with insults scrawled on the walls of the house where she lived and the contemptuous glances of her neighbors.
Perhaps that is why the movie star dared to take her next step in her career only 7 years later. Then the famous Gerard Depardieu became her partner on the set of the film “Eliza”. And that was just the beginning. The subsequent works brought her together with many masters of French cinema.
Recognition in show business
Vanessa Paradis became a singer when she was already a teenager. Her first album came out when the girl was only 15 years old. The album recorded 3 years later was no less successful.
However, although the singer’s first two collections were popular, songs in English were still needed to finally conquer the musical Olympus. Thus, the album, published in 1992, for the title of which Vanessa used her own name, was entirely in English. The singer took the recording seriously, and Lenny Kravitz was invited to work on the album.
The efforts spent on the album “Vanessa Paradis” were not in vain. Our heroine was rapidly gaining popularity. And the world tour that followed the release of the album in support of it was such a great success that upon its completion the singer even released a live version of the songs recorded during past concerts.
After the triumph of “Vanessa Paradis,” there followed a long break in the singer’s musical work, which ended in 2000 with the release of the next album, called “Bliss.” And although this work was not as successful as the previous one, the album sold well in France and neighboring countries.
The singer again had to wait 7 years for the next album. At the same time, the released “Divinidylle” was so warmly received by the public that this talented woman was even recognized as the best singer of the year.
“Love songs”, published in 2013, is the singer’s latest work. As the name suggests, its main theme is romance, as well as love. And although the album’s songs are filled with emotions from the singer’s personal experience, this work was well received by fans.
Busy personal life
Like the rapid success that our heroine achieved in film and music, Vanessa Paradis’s personal life was no less eventful. After a three-year relationship with Florent Pagny, which ended in the early 90s, there followed an affair with Lenny Kravitz. The couple's relationship lasted for 5 years, after which in 1997 a decision was made to break up.
In 1998, our heroine becomes close to Hollywood star Johnny Depp. And although the couple met back in 1992 during the singer’s trip to Hollywood, their truly romantic relationship began only during the filming of “The Ninth Gate,” for which Depp came to France. At the same time, the stars carefully hid their relationship, revealing the truth only when they were already expecting their first child, the boy Jack Christopher.
Vanessa Paradis's marriage to Johnny Depp, during which the singer gave birth to another child, a girl, Lily-Rose Melody, lasted until 2012, when the stars decided to divorce. At the same time, despite the breakup, the former spouses maintained a good relationship for the sake of the children. So, despite Paradis’s subsequent romance with Guy-David Barbie, Depp bought his ex-wife and children a house in Los Angeles. In turn, Vanessa spoke out in defense of her ex-husband when his new wife, actress Amber Heard, announced her desire to divorce, accusing Depp of domestic violence.