Of course, there are first of all those who fell in love with a local long before succumbing to the charms of France! And the list is pretty amazing. We are of course thinking of Natalie Portman who has been the wife of choreographer Benjamin Millepied since 2012 and who, even if she did not appreciate the Parisian mentality, is full of praise for our beautiful regions. She even owes her first name to the famous song by Gilbert Bécaud!
Scarlett Johansson, although divorced since 2017 from Romain Dauriac, the father of her daughter Rose, has carefully preserved her beautiful pied-à-terre in the capital. Impossible for her to do without Fashion Week shows! For her part, the Mexican actress Salma Hayek, has indeed decided to definitely settle down in France since 2009 and her marriage to the wealthy businessman François-Henri Pinault. Ditto for the sublime Russian model Natalia Vodianova, very linked to the city of light since her love affair with the businessman Antoine Arnault, to whom she said “yes” in 2020, after nine years of living together. The German actress Diane Kruger remained very much in love with France even if her affair with Guillaume Canet did not last… Moreover, she masters the language of Molière wonderfully. And it is also out of love that Jude Law chose to get married in France! In the town of Vauldenay, in Maine-et-Loire. Not that the chosen one of his heart, Phillipa Coan, is a regional of the stage. No, the beauty is just like him a pure Briton Earl Grey. So why ? Quite simply to please his own parents who have lived for years in this small town in the south of Saumur.
Precursor ? John Malkovich!
There are also those who, alone like adults, have decided to settle in France simply because they have fallen in love with the many charms of our country. We think of the couple Elton John and David Furnish who regularly recharge their batteries, between two rounds of shows, in their superb residence near Nice. Bono has also succumbed to the sweetness of the French Riviera. The leader of the U2 group indeed owns a magnificent villa on the edge of Eze beach. There is still Pete Doherty, the bad boy of English rock, who decided many years ago to settle in Paris. But the precursor is undoubtedly John Malkovich who, from the beginning of the 1990s, decided to settle in the Vaucluse then in the Luberon, far, very far from the pretense of Hollywood. The American dandy, who speaks impeccable French, was even the first foreign star to invest in wine from southern France. His 10-hectare estate, Les Quel de la Coste, produces five different wines, praised by oenologists. Since then, he has been emulated…
These “Made in France” pros!
We remember: in 2011, the “Brangelina” acquired the domain of Miraval, in the Var, surrounded by 30 hectares of vineyards. Today separated, it is Brad Pitt who takes over the production of his Provence rosé alone, which is a hit on all the trendy tables. But even better, he has just developed the activities of his property by launching his own brand of cosmetics called “Le Domaine”! A whole range of high-end anti-aging skincare products from its own vineyard, vegan, gender-neutral and almost entirely recyclable. Very fit, the American star has also decided to restore and relaunch the legendary Miraval studios. An already legendary place since the 1970s, where groups like The Pink Floyd, AC/DC or The Cranberries came to record, eager to make its property a real place of life and creation. But the most incredible thing is that the superstar has converted some of his best friends to the wonders of Provence… and its wine business possibilities! What Else? George Clooney has indeed followed his great friend by buying in 2021 the Domaine du Canadel, in the Var, and 10 minutes from Miraval. A property of 172 hectares, including 8 of vines, surrounded by an 18th century castle. He also brought two great directors in his wake! In 2017, George Lucas fell in love with Château Margüi and its 18.5 hectares of certified organic vines. The creator of the first “Star Wars”, a fine connoisseur, also owns two other vineyards, one in California, the other in Italy. And Ridley Scott to follow the movement too… In 2021, he acquired a farmhouse with 20 hectares of vines, in Oppède-le-Vieux in the Vaucluse. The director of “Gladiator” vinifies in his own cellars and even personally designed the labels for his bottles! If it’s not “Made in France” love, that…
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