With the episode The time of love which was to be broadcast this Friday, September 9 on France 3 (it has been deprogrammed to make way for One day, one story – The Queen ) as part of the collection Secret Archives, the little-known sentimental lives of the stars are dissected. And through them, conflicting relationships are brought to light, like that of Claude François with another famous singer. Laurent Delahousse, producer, lends his voice to this documentary which reveals a new complex facet of Cloclo.
A successful man coupled with a sickly and possessive jealousy, Claude François did not have a very good sentimental reputation. From his youth as a drummer, his difficult character is visible in his relationship with his wife Janet Woollacott. When he discovers that his wife is attached to an already star singer named Gilbert Bécaud, his blood runs wild. Tele-Leisure looked into this story…
His anger against Gibert Bécaud is not only sentimental since Claude François is also jealous of the success of the interpreter of Natalie. In 1965, success finally smiled on the future legend and he revels in Janet’s break with his rival. Competitive at the highest point, he nevertheless wishes to satisfy his desire for revenge which does not seem satisfied. If the couple he formed with the beautiful Janet, his great love, is a thing of the past, Cloclo is still legally bound to his ex. He is close to the one who is pregnant with Gilbert Bécaud – still married to Monique Nicolas – and who continued her pregnancy in London, in all discretion. It was then that Claude François decided to recognize the child at the town hall after childbirth. “He took advantage of this artistic blur to recognize me before dad. I carried her name for six years: I had the mention ‘Jennifer François’ on my passport. It was a little revenge for him!“, confides the long-secret daughter of Gilbert Bécaud.
What to blame Claude François but not really for Jennifer. “I understand that very well, honestly. He always told dad that he stole his wife and didn’t love her. We were on a little cockfight“, says the main interested party. Her mother Janet had to deal with a breakup, a little baby and a possessive and manipulative ex. Fortunately, she was able to bounce back, as her daughter tells us: “She recovered quickly and I simply adopted my mother’s name.“In the end, the seducer Gilbert Bécaud, father of six children in total, recognized Jennifer as his daughter when she was 25 years old. He died in 2001.
Secret Archives – The Time of Loveto be found soon on France 3.