French film legend Alain Delon dies at 88

Paris (AFP) – French film legend Alain Delon, a divisive star known to some as a sex symbol and to others an egotistical chauvinist, has died at the age of 88, his children announced Sunday in a statement to AFP.

The actor, known for his roles in classics "Purple Noon" (1960) and "Le Samurai" (1967), died in the early hours of the morning, his son Anthony told AFP. He had been suffering with lymphoma.

"Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony, as well as (his dog) Loubo, are deeply saddened to announce the passing of their father. He passed away peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family," said the statement, which came after months of public family feuding over the star's weakening health.

The star had millions of fans around the world who adored him as a genius -- but also drew legions of critics, with feminists appalled by the lifetime achievement award the Cannes film festival gave him in 2019.

In his later years he lived largely as a recluse, his personal life keeping him in the headlines despite being a rarity on-screen since the 1990s.

In 2023, his three children filed a complaint against his live-in assistant Hiromi Rollin, accusing her of harassment and threatening behaviour.

The siblings went on to wage a public battle in the media and the courts, arguing over the star's state of health, which included a stroke in 2019.

He faced lifelong controversy over his relationship with women, with his sons previously accusing him of domestic violence. While Delon denied this, he admitted to slapping women who attacked him during quarrels.

He had a series of tumultuous affairs, describing German actor Romy Schneider as the "love of my life" after their relationship in the 1960s.

German-born Velvet Underground singer Nico claimed he was the father of her son, Christian Aaron Boulogne -- something Delon continually denied up to Boulogne's death in 2023 from a heroin overdose.

Delon married Nathalie Delon in 1964 in a stormy relationship that ended in divorce in 1969, with other high-profile relationships including pop diva Dalida and model-turned-actor Mireille Darc.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Delon was a "French monument" who "played legendary roles and made the world dream".

Instinctive genius

Far from a cerebral actor, Delon was considered an instinctive genius. He prided himself on never having worked on his technique, rather relying on charisma.

Former president of the Cannes festival, Gilles Jacob, paid tribute to Delon as "a lion... an actor with a steely gaze".

Directors from Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino all acknowledge a debt to the inner life Delon gave his stylish killer © JEAN MEUNIER / AFP

His looks were cinematic gold for filmmakers in the 1960s, playing roles of pretty boy killers and mysterious schemers like in "Purple Noon" -- later remade as "The Talented Mr Ripley".

"He's not a normal actor, Alain Delon. He's an object of desire," said actor Vincent Lindon in a 2012 documentary.

He went on to set the template for one of Hollywood's favourite tropes -- the mysterious, cerebral hitman -- with his staggering performance as the silent killer in Jean-Pierre Melville's "Le Samurai" (1967).

Directors from Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino to Hong Kong's John Woo all acknowledge a debt to the inner life Delon gave his stylish killer -- although the French actor never made it big in Hollywood.

Delon made his last major public appearance on the red carpet to receive an honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2019.

"It's a bit of a posthumous tribute, but from my lifetime," he had said upon receiving the award.

"I am going to leave, but I won't leave without thanking you," added the man who lived out his final years at home in a small village in northeast France, surrounded by high walls, where he planned to be buried not far from his dogs.

'The best and the worst'

"Alain is in a deep, chosen solitude, in another world, in the past with people he very much loved," his former partner Darc told AFP in 2015.

Delon married Nathalie Delon in 1964 in a stormy relationship that ended in divorce in 1969 © - / AFP

"The best and the worst, both inaccessible and so close, cold and hot," fellow 1960s star Brigitte Bardot had described him on his 80th birthday.

Delon also drew criticism for his support of polarising politician Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front (later renamed the National Rally), who was in favour of the death penalty and spoke against homosexuality.

A self-described right-winger, Delon was also mocked for his ego and habit of talking about himself in the third person.

But fans who adored him will think back to his opening line in the film "Le Samurai": "There is no deeper solitude than that of the samurai, except that of a tiger in the jungle."