Jacques Dutronc and Françoise Hardy: why did the couple separate?

They formed a legendary couple from the yéyés years. Françoise Hardy and Jacques Dutronc lived a media idyll by formalizing their relationship in 1967. Six years later, the singer and the musician welcomed their only son Thomas before marrying their wedding in 1981. While their union experienced some turmoil, the two artists separated in 1987 without ending their marriage.

More than 30 years later, Françoise Hardy seems to have a certain affection for the father of her famous son. In an interview with the Journal du Dimanche, published on July 3, the septuagenarian confides in her former love, questioned about the possibility of moving from passion to friendship. “In some cases no doubt. But Jacques will have been the man of my life and the feelings that we have for each other today go further than a simple friendship”, she assures our colleagues.

Despite the illness, the singer-songwriter Françoise Hardy came out of her reserve to show her attachment to Jacques Dutronc. The latter, on tour with his son since last April, did not hesitate to say all the good things he thinks of his former love. “I loved her a lot and I still love her. She can’t be here tonight. Her name is Françoise”, confided the interpreter of the song Les Cactus on stage during a concert where the singer did not was able to surrender, according to the comments relayed in Le Parisien.

If the couple never wanted to divorce, the end of their story was chaotic to say the least. As Françoise Hardy explained on the reasons for their separation in the pages of ELLE magazine. “During the first years, she mentioned in 2015, he was very eager, then he disappeared. One of my best friends said to me: ‘No matter his absences, he has feelings for you’. And, from that, I I was convinced of it. But there were terrible moments”.

The interpreter of the piece The time of love, however, has never hidden his feelings for him during their marriage. “You know, I’ve heard a lot that love lasts three years, but I can tell you that for twenty years, I was crazy about my husband”. And, to evoke their separation marked by the infidelities of the singer. “I told him, without believing it at all, ‘You know, one day all this will not make me hot or cold’. And that’s exactly what happened,” she said. “One fine day, it was over. And there, he had a hard time […] When I walked away, I saw the harm it was doing to him”.

Today on good terms, Jacques Dutronc has rebuilt his life since 1997 with Sylvie Duval in Corsica, while Françoise Hardy lives in the capital. Still in remission, however, she prefers to remember their good times with the family. “Remembering happy times with Jacques and Thomas makes me feel good,” she assured Current Woman in 2021.