French Court Rules Against Paternity Claim Linking Alain Delon to Ari Boulogne, Closing Decades-Long Dispute
POITIERS, FRANCE – A French court has definitively rejected a claim seeking to establish Alain Delon as the father of ari Boulogne, who died in 2023. The ruling, issued September 25th by the Poitiers Court of Appeal, centers on the statute of limitations under French law, despite acknowledging French jurisdiction in the case. the decision effectively ends a decades-long legal battle and closes the door on any potential claim to Delon’s estate by Boulogne’s children.
Ari Boulogne, born in 1962 to German singer Nico of The Velvet Underground, was raised by Delon’s mother, Edith Boulogne, but was never formally recognized by the actor. Boulogne filed a request for paternity recognition with the Orleans court in 2020, but it was initially dismissed due to Delon’s residency in Switzerland. That dismissal was overturned by the Court of Cassation in 2024, citing Boulogne’s French nationality as grounds for French court jurisdiction. The case was then revived by Boulogne’s sons, Charles and Blanche.
Despite recognizing its jurisdiction, the court ultimately ruled the claim was time-barred under French law, which limits the timeframe for paternity actions.this contrasts with German law – the nationality of Nico, Ari Boulogne’s mother – which was argued by Charles Boulogne’s lawyer during a hearing in June.
“According to German law, the competent law is that of the country of residence of the child. Ari Boulogne had his usual residence in france. It is indeed essential,” stated Laurence Bedossa, the lawyer representing Delon’s children, Anthony and Alain-Fabien, who, along with their sister Anouchka, opposed the claim.
The ruling brings an end to a complex legal saga that unfolded even after the death of Ari Boulogne, and solidifies the existing inheritance arrangements for the late actor’s estate.The question of Ari Boulogne’s paternity, and the future of his children’s potential claim to Delon’s legacy, remains unresolved.
