In 1980, after twelve years of relationship, Jane Birkin leaves her companion Serge Gainsbourg. The British singer, then in love with the director Jacques Doillon, no longer supports the attitude of the mythical artist, angry and made aggressive by his alcoholism. When she decides to end their relationship, it’s not a decision she takes lightly.
the Parisian Weekend looks back on the crazy romance between Serge Gainsbourg – who died in 1991 – and Jane Birkin. “As soon as I left I knew I was gonna regret it“, had thus confided the singer. But she could not do otherwise, her companion having become unlivable and the daily disputes. “She never got over the breakup“, advances the magazine, while she nevertheless lived another beautiful story of the heart in the process. Indeed, after having slammed the door of the legendary house on rue Verneuil, in Paris, it is in a private mansion from the 16th arrondissement that she leaves to settle with her daughters Charlotte and Kate as well as the new man of her life, the director Jacques Doillon. But Serge is never far away…
“Jane calls him every day, worries that he is eating well and drinking water. He sometimes arrives at midnight for dinner rue de la Tour [la nouvelle adresse de son ex, ndlr]”, we read. On top of that, when Jane Birkin gave birth to her daughter Lou Doillon in September 1982 – barely two years after their breakup – she made him the godfather! He inevitably became “a somewhat intrusive member” and “remains a pivot of his blended family“. Musically too, Serge Gainsbourg does not really leave Jane Birkin. Not content to sing his grief in his own songs, he will then produce three additional albums for the singer, until her death in 1991.
Since the death of her ex, Jane Birkin – who is recovering very well from a stroke – has not set foot in their former home that her daughter Charlotte is trying to transform into a museum. But the memories, there is no doubt that she has them in her head.
The Parisian WeekendAugust 12, 2022 edition.