Iconic actress Charlotte Rampling, now 80, shares that she has discovered romance anew with a mystery man, more than a decade after losing her longtime partner to cancer.
New Chapter in Paris
Rampling, celebrated for her role in The Night Porter, bases herself primarily in Paris. She lives with her cats alongside a wonderful man in what she calls ‘une amitié amoureuse’—a loving friendship.
Following her 1995 divorce from second husband Jean-Michel Jarre, whom she learned was unfaithful, Rampling entered a nearly 20-year relationship with Parisian tycoon Jean-Noël Tasset. He passed away from cancer in 2015.
Rampling maintains a friendship with Jarre, father of her son David, 49, despite past betrayals. She also has son Barnaby, 54, a filmmaker, from her first marriage.
Recent Acclaim and Hollywood Views
Rampling stars in the upcoming film Father Mother Sister Brother, which secured the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival. Also known for Dune, she critiques Hollywood peers focused solely on Oscars.
‘I didn’t like Hollywood at all. I didn’t like the vibe. I didn’t want to be that person, and I didn’t want to be that kind of actor. I wanted to investigate life in a different way to just getting “great” parts and wanting to get Oscars. I didn’t want to be a celebrity,’ Rampling stated.
Reflections on Life Ahead
Contemplating her future, Rampling notes, ‘Twenty years isn’t very long. Let’s keep as healthy as possible, because that’s the main thing, and then we’ll just go for it and hope that everything follows.’
She adds, ‘I feel that the rewards are actually being given to me now… I feel I deserve it. I feel I’ve worked for it.’
Early Unconventional Romance
In the 1960s, rumors swirled of Rampling’s ménage à trois with agent Bryan Southcombe and model Randall Laurence. Long denying it as a mere flat-share, she confirmed in 2021: ‘Well, I did have two boyfriends which was racy at the time. We were all very young. It was all chop and change. Quite a lot of things were experimental.’
Upon becoming pregnant with Barnaby, Rampling married Southcombe in 1972. Laurence observed from nearby. She explained, ‘Who knows what life has to offer you? But sometimes choices have to be made and I chose Bryan because I got pregnant.’
Laurence remained open about his bisexuality and involvement with both, according to those who knew him later.
