Charlotte Rampling, the iconic actress from the swinging sixties, continues to captivate at 80. She recently shared that she has found love again with a mystery man, over a decade after losing her longtime partner to cancer.
New Romance in Paris
Rampling, now primarily based in Paris, lives with her cats and enjoys a special relationship she describes as ‘une amitié amoureuse—a loving friendship.’ She posed elegantly in a Chanel shirt while opening up about her wonderful new companion.
After divorcing her second husband, Jean-Michel Jarre, in 1995 upon discovering his infidelity, Rampling entered a nearly two-decade partnership with Parisian tycoon Jean-Noël Tasseux. He passed away from cancer in 2015. Despite the past betrayal, Rampling remains on friendly terms with Jarre, father of her son David, 49. She also has a son, Barnaby, 54, from her first marriage.
Critique of Hollywood Ambitions
The Dune star, who appears in the upcoming film Father Mother Sister Brother—recent winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival—expressed strong reservations about Hollywood. ‘I didn’t like Hollywood at all. I didn’t like the vibe,’ she stated. ‘I didn’t want to be that person, and I didn’t want to be that kind of actor. I wanted to investigate life in a different way to just getting “great” parts and wanting to get Oscars. I didn’t want to be a celebrity.’
Reflections on Life and Legacy
Looking ahead, Rampling contemplates her remaining years: ‘Twenty years isn’t very long. Let’s keep as healthy as possible, because that’s the main thing, and then we’ll just go for it and hope that everything follows.’ She feels rewards are coming her way now. ‘I feel that I deserve it. I feel I’ve worked for it.’
Revisiting 1960s Rumors
Rampling finally addressed long-standing rumors from her rising star days in the 1960s about a ménage à trois with her agent Bryan Southcombe and model Randall Laurence. ‘Well, I did have two boyfriends which was racy at the time,’ she admitted. ‘We were all very young. It was all chop and change. Quite a lot of things were experimental.’
She married Southcombe in 1972 after becoming pregnant with Barnaby, now a successful filmmaker. Reflecting on the choice, she said: ‘Who knows what life has to offer you? But sometimes choices have to be made and I chose Bryan because I got pregnant.’
Rampling explained her past discretion: ‘You still had parents who were quite conventional and you needed to protect them… you have to keep up appearances, don’t you?’ Those close to Laurence later noted his openness about his bisexuality and involvement with both.
