For a brief moment, they had it all.
But in 1964, after four years togetherdocumented in endless tabloid coveragegolden couple Romy Schneider andAlain Delonsplit.
Still, her mother, Magda, directed her striking daughter towards a career in film.
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Alain Delon was born in the French town of Sceaux on November 8, 1935.
It was they, the women, who pushed me to do this job.
It was the filmChristine(1958) that brought Schneider and Delon together.
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Despite their initial mutual distrust, the meeting proved fateful.
I waited with the flowers in my hand like an imbecile, amidst a horde of photographers.
You got off the airplane, I approached.
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You said to your mother, That must be Alain Delon, my partner!
Nothing else, no bolt of lightning out of the blue.
And you fell in love with me.
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After the film wrapped, the couple moved in together in Paris.
The couple spent four years together, during which Delon became a leading manand an international sex symbol.
As Delons career was reaching new heights, his lovers was slowing down.
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Constant tabloid rumors about Delons infidelityalways documented, frequently denieddid not help.
In 1962 the singer and Andy Warhol muse Nico had a child, Ari, believed to be Delons.
The actor never recognized the boy as his own, but the child was later adopted by Delons mother.
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The couple weathered these early storms, and Delon gave Schneiderwhom he calledpuppele, or baby dollan engagement ring.
By the time Schneider received a note from Delon ending things in 1964allegedly reading, Im sorry.
I know I would have made you unhappy.
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Im leaving for Mexico with Nathalie.
He never spoke to me about her, his former wife said after their marriage ended in 1969.
But sometimes I saw a shadow of sadness in his eyes and I knew it was for Romy.
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The end of the 1960s found Delon and Schneider on set together once again.
Instead, their former flame solidified into a lasting friendship.
As Schneider said during filming: The most important man in my life remains Delon.
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He is always ready to reach out to me.
He would run to my aid at any time.
Alain has never abandoned me to myself, neither today nor yesterday.
His mother never recovered.
Her cause of death was not suicide, but a heart attack.
Delon, meanwhile, won a Cesar in 1985, and a Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
I fell hopelessly in love with you.
And you fell in love with me.
My God, how young we were, and how happy we were.
Then our life, which concerns no one but us, separated us.
Romy Schneider would be 80 years old today, Sunday, September 23.
Let those who loved her and still love her send her a thought.
