Who was Jane Birkin married to? All about her husband and kids as French actress dies aged 76

Jane Birkin. (Photo via Getty Images)
Jane Birkin. (Photo via Getty Images)

British-born French singer Jane Birkin, who rose to international fame due to her illustrious musical career and acting in French cinema, has passed away at the age of 76. As per news outlet Reuters, local media reported that Birkin was found dead at her Paris home on July 16, after battling heart problems and a mild stroke in 2021.

Of all her achievements, Jane Birkin is best known for her 1969 hit with her former partner and then-lover, French singer Serge Gainsbourg, titled Je t’aime...moi non plus, which was s*xually explicit. The duo met on the film set of Slogan, and the duet was recorded months after that in 1968.

Because of its openly s*xual lyrics, it was banned from radio in several countries and criticized by the Vatican. However, it brought the pair to a new audience around the world.

She moved to France in the late 1960s and had lived there ever since. Besides singing and being in dozens of movies, she was known for being kind and a firm advocate for women's and LGBTQIA+ rights.

Birkin was also associated with a name-brand Hermes handbag. The Birkin bag, which was created by the Parisian design business in 1984 in her honor, quickly rose to the top of the list of the rare luxury goods in the world, with an expensive price tag and a waiting list to buy one.

On the personal front, Jane Birkin was only married once, but had children from her other relationships.


All you need to know about Jane Birkin's ex-husband and kids

Although Jane Birkin is most famously associated with Serge Gainsbourg, before starting a relationship with him, she was married to British composer John Barry from 1965 to 1968. The duo shared a daughter named Katy, born in April 1967. Professionally, she worked as a fashion photographer, before her passing in December 2013.

Between 1963 and 1987, John Barry created the music for eleven James Bond movies. He also composed and performed the James Bond Theme for the first film in the series, Dr. No, released in 1962.

After Jane Birkin got a divorce from Barry, she began a romantic relationship with French singer and director Serge Gainsbourg. The duo were together for 12 years but never tied the knot. In 1971, they welcomed a daughter named Charlotte Gainsbourg, who is currently an actress and singer.

Birkin and Gainsbourg split up in 1980, following the latter's issues with violence and alcoholism.

After Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin began dating director Jacques Doillon. During that period, a moment of inspiration struck as she became the muse behind the renowned Birkin bag, crafted by the esteemed French luxury brand Hermes.

This event unfolded when the chief executive, Jean-Louis Dumas, observed her grappling with her straw bag during a flight to London, unintentionally causing its contents to scatter across the floor.

Together, Jane and Jacques welcomed the singer's third child while the couple's first, a daughter named Lou Doillon. Professionally, she has also followed her mother's steps and is an actress, singer, and model.

Before Jane Birkin's demise, her last on-screen performance was for the television mini-series Les Saisons meurtrières, as Lili Rousseau from 2011 to 2013, and in the film The French Minister as Molly Hutchinson.

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Edited by Nikita Nikhil
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