On April 24, 2026, two funerals unfolded in Paris within hours of each other, drawing overlapping crowds of celebrities and highlighting a long-standing rift in one of France’s most famous families.
Nadia Farès was laid to rest at the Saint-Jean-de-Montmartre church in the 18th arrondissement at 3:30 p.m., following her death on April 17 after a cardiac incident in a private club pool. She was 57. The service brought together figures from French cinema including director Claude Lelouch, who asked attendees to give the actress a standing ovation in recognition of their work together on Hommes, femmes : mode d’emploi from 1996. Likewise present were actors Josiane Balasko, Elsa Zylberstein, François Berléand and Samuel Le Bihan, filmmaker and actor Guillaume Canet, television host Nagui, journalist Claire Chazal, comedian Gad Elmaleh and Laeticia Hallyday.
Earlier that morning, Nathalie Baye was honored at Saint-Sulpice in the 6th arrondissement after passing away on the same day at age 77 from Lewy body disease. Nearly 400 guests attended, including Laura Smet, her brother David Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan. Valérie Lemercier opened the ceremony with a performance of Mon amie la rose, followed by a reading from Jacques Weber. Laura Smet delivered a personal tribute to her mother.
The timing created a rare convergence: Laeticia Hallyday attended Farès’ funeral in Montmartre just hours after Baye’s service ended at Saint-Sulpice. Her absence from the latter was noted but not unexpected, given the enduring division within Johnny Hallyday’s family over his estate. Despite Nathalie Baye’s 2024 public statement describing relations as “without discomfort,” sources indicate tensions remain unresolved nine years after the rocker’s funeral at the Madeleine.
Farès’ daughters have said she was found unconscious in the pool five days before her death and had undergone surgery in 2007 for an aneurysm, along with three prior procedures for heart conditions. She had been preparing to direct her first feature film, scheduled for September.
While some personalities like Balasko and Canet were seen at both services, the split in attendance underscored how personal grief continues to intersect with unresolved familial conflicts in the public eye.
Why did Laeticia Hallyday attend Nadia Farès’ funeral but not Nathalie Baye’s?
Her presence at Farès’ service and absence from Baye’s reflects the ongoing estrangement between Laeticia and Laura Smet and David Hallyday, rooted in disputes over Johnny Hallyday’s inheritance that have persisted since his death in 2017.
What was Nadia Farès known for in her acting career?
She gained international recognition for her role in the 2000 thriller Les Rivières pourpres and had worked with director Claude Lelouch on Hommes, femmes : mode d’emploi in 1996.
Did Nadia Farès have any known health issues before her death?
According to her daughters and a January interview with Gala, she had been treated for an aneurysm in 2007 and had undergone three previous procedures for heart-related problems.