Who was Jane Birkin’s husband? This question easily comes up when the name of the late British-French actress who inspired Hermes Birkin bags come up. As such, she was married to English composer John Barry from 1965 to 1969. She also had long-term relationships with famous Frenchmen Serge Gainsbourg (1968-1989) and Jacques Doilon (1980-1991).
From her relationships before her death on 16 July 2023, Jane Birkin bore three daughters, Kate Barry (who died in 2013), Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Lou Doilon. Here is all to know about the late actress’ husband and love life.
Jane Birkin Married Her Husband When She was 18 and He was 13 Years Older
In 1965, the same year that Jane was featured in The Knack …and How to Get It, she was married to English composer and conductor John Barry. The former couple met when Barry was involved in the musical part of The Passion Flower Hotel which features Jane as an actress when she was 17.
At the time the famous people were married, Birkin was 18 while Barry was 13 years older than the actress was 32 years old.
Birkin’s parents did not get along so well with Barry. Well, it didn’t stop them from thriving in the relationship and having their first child together, Kate Barry in 1967. Regardless, they couldn’t survive past 1968 when they separated.
That would be the only marriage of Jane (but certainly not the end of her love life). It was the second for Barry who was earlier married to Barbara Pickard (m. 1959; div. 1963).
After he got divorced from Jane, he went ahead to be married two more times to Jane Sidey (m. 1969; div. 1978) and his wife until death parted them, Lauri Barry (m. 1978).
Now That You Know About Jane’s Relationship with Her Ex-Husband, Let’s Get to Know More About John Barry
Jane’s ex was born John Barry Prendergast on November 3, 1933, in York, England. He was born to an English pianist mother and an Irish projectionist father.
He served in the British Army before later moving to become a renowned British composer and conductor of film music.
He composed many famous films and series such as James Bond, Born Free, and Chaplin. In his career, he received numerous awards, including 5 Academy Awards (1966, 1968, 1985, and 1990). He also won 2 BAFTA Awards (1968 and 2005) and Golden Globe Awards (1985).
Moreso, Jane Birkin’s ex-husband won 4 Grammy Awards and was nominated eight times.
In his personal life, Barry who was married 4 times equally had 4 children, one of whom was born from his marriage with Jane.
On January 30, 2011, at the age of 77, the composer died of a heart attack.
From an Abusive Relationship to a Regret For Not Marrying a Man, Let’s See What Jane’s Other Love Life Looked Like
The former British actress and fashion icon had a 12-year relationship with Serge Gainsbourg from 1968 to 1980. They met on the set of the French film Slogann (1968).
In a Wikipedia report, her relationship with Serge ended as a result of his alcoholism and violence. The report went further to state that Serge who died in 1991 would beat her if she didn’t sing a part well.
Regardless, she opened up in an interview that she regrets not having married Serge. Also, she stated that Serge had a very close relationship with her parents.
With Serge, Jane had a daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg – a British-French actress and singer. She made he film debut at 12 and has since continued with her famous career.
Her Love Life with Jacques Doillon was The Longest She Had
Jane Birkin had a relationship with French film director and screenwriter Jacques Doillon. Jane has said good things about Jaques and their 13 years of relationship.
The relationship produced a daughter, Lou Doillon – a British and French actress, model, and singer.
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The Late Actress Had Three Children From 3 Relationships
Jane Birkin had three children from her three relationships. Her three daughters are Kate Barry, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Lou Doillon.
Kate is the oldest and was born to Birkin and John Barry on April 8, 1967. She was a British fashion photographer who worked with Vogue and The Sunday Times Magazine among others. She was also an author and released the book Dinard: Essai d’autobiophie immobilière in collaboration with journalist Jean Rolin.
She died on 11 December 2013 when she fell from the fourth floor of an apartment in Paris.
Her death was speculated to be suicide by her half-sibling Charlotte disputed the claim.
This then leads us to the second child of Jane, Charlotte Gainsbourg. She was born on July 21, 1971, to Jane and Serge. She is currently 53 years old and has a career as an English and French actress and singer.
She made her musical debut at the age of 12 o the song, Lemon Incest.
Charlotte has appeared in Charlotte for Ever (1986), The Little Thief (1988), The Intruder, and Persécution (2009), and Life for Real (2023).
Now, let’s get to know the youngest daughter of Jane Birkin. Lou Doillon was born on 4 September 1982 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. The 42-year-old was born to Jane and Jacques Doillon.
As earlier stated, Lou is a model and singer. She started her career as a model at 16 and had worked for numerous big brands such as Givenchy and Vanessa Bruno.
As an actress, she featured in Mauvaises fréquentations (1999), Boxes (2007), and Naked in London (2011).
Jane was Also Survived by 6 Grandchildren
The late actress had 6 grandchildren before her death on 16 July 2023. Her last daughter, Lou who is vocal about her support for abortion has 2 children – Marlowe Mitchell and Laszlo Manel.
Also, Jane’s daughter Charlotte has three children – Ben, Alice, and Jo.
The actress’s oldest daughter Kate was also a mother. She had a child, Roman de Kermadec before her demise.
