Jean-Pierre Pernaut died at the age of 71 on March 2, 2022. The journalist and former presenter of the JT de 13H, who was battling cancer, suffered complications related to heart surgery. His death shook the French, the TF1 house and those close to him. During his funeral on March 9, his very discreet daughter Julia came out of the shadows.
Aged 45, occupying the profession of gynecologist in Amiens – cradle of the Pernauts -, Julia was not necessarily very comfortable with the idea of having to publicly address the crowd. It must be said that just the first row of guests could have something impressive when one evolves in the shadows and not in the media spotlight as was the case for Jean-Pierre for decades: Brigitte Macron, Nicolas Sarkozy, Carla Bruni, Valérie Pécresse, Christian Estrosi… There were many VIPs at this tribute mass. As the magazine relates GalaJulia wanted to tell her “happy childhood“, evoking her memories of family vacations – she was born from the first marriage between JPP and Dominique Bonnet -, barbecues and parties.
On the microphone, she added: “And family meals always very animated and which often ended in a few rants. Strong characters, the Pernauts. There was joy, we grew up with all that. We built ourselves on a solid base that you and mom passed on to us: work, rigour, respect, tolerance, humility. These values we now pass on to our children. Your grandchildren, of whom you were so proud.” Julia is the mother of Iris and Eléa while her older brother Olivier – who also spoke for the occasion – is the father of Rose and Léo. At the end of the ceremony, the coffin of Jean-Pierre Pernaut left the Parisian basilica in the chic 7th arrondissement, transported in a luxury hearse chosen in a nod to the late journalist’s passion for motor sports, in order to return not to Picardy as announced, but to the Louveciennes cemetery, for a discreet burial.
Galaon newsstands March 17, 2022.