What a beautiful woman you were Jane: Who is Jane Birkin?

The news of the death of Jane Birkin, who had been living in France for many years despite being British, was announced by the French Ministry of Culture. The famous singer built her successful acting career by acting in French films.

Charlotte Gainsbourg, the 51-year-old daughter of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, is one of the most respected actresses in the world of cinema. Birkin's eldest child, photographer Kate Barry, died in 2013 after falling from her fourth-floor home at the age of 46. It was said that Kate Barry, who had an alcohol and drug problem for many years, committed suicide.

The relationship between Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg was what we now call "toxic"... The separation of the couple, who had a legendary love, ended after Serge Gainsbourg got stuck in alcohol. 

Jane Mallory Birkin (14 December 1946 – 16 July 2023) was a British and French singer and actress. She attained international fame and notability for her decade-long musical and romantic partnership with Serge Gainsbourg. She also had a prolific career as an actress, mostly in French cinema.

Like her mother, Jane Birkin's youngest child, 40-year-old Lou Doillon, also became a singer and actor.

It was known that Jane Birkin, who had leukemia in 2002, also had a stroke in September 2021, but recovered. It was announced that Jane Birkin, who canceled the concerts she planned to give in May due to her health problems, was found dead by her maid in her home in Paris.

Jane Birkin was the person who gave her name to the designer handbag model of the Hermes brand, which is identified with the concept of luxury in fashion.

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Singer and actress Jane Birkin, born in London in 1946, was found dead in her home in Paris, the capital of France, yesterday.

The bohemian poet of the French 'chanson' genre, the artist who became an 'icon' with his 13-year passionate life with Serge Gainsbourg, who is 18 years older than him, gave two separate concerts in Istanbul on July 7, 2003, and April 21, 2009. The artist had moved from England to France at the age of 22 to be on camera for a Paris romantic comedy with Gainsbourg.

Acclaimed around the world with Gainsbourg's "Je t'aime … moi non plus" (I Love You, Me Too) Birkin's erotic compositions infused with 'love moans' were deemed 'immoral' at the time they were released and were targeted by the Vatican. It didn't go down to number one for long and has become a classic today. The duo became the focus of the press with their heavy fights. So much so that the artist threw himself into the Seine after Gainsbourg threw a cake in Birkin's face. Still, Birkin said in an interview in 2006, "He and I became the most famous couple, oddly enough, because of this song, and of course, because of our 13-year relationship. Then he remained my friend until his death. Who could ask for more?” she used the expression.

Breakup song

She also acted in the movie Michelangelo Antonioni's “Blow Up!” in 1966. Birkin's name was given to a bag designed by Hermes. However, later on, Birkin wanted to remove her name from the design with environmental concerns. She fit around 70 works in her film career. Jane Birkin, who constantly commemorates Gainsbourg, commented on the track "Stylish Underwear", written for their breakup, to AFP in 2018: "This is the best song about the breakup you can ever have." After Gainsbourg's death in 1991 at the age of 62, Birkin released his first record without 'À la légère' in 1998, but she never stopped returning to their typical repertoire at concerts. At the age of 17, Birkin married James Bond film composer John Barry. The artist, who has a child named Kate from this marriage, suffered the loss of Kate in 2013. Birkin battled leukemia in the 1990s and had a partial stroke in 2021. Again, the artist, who recently suffered from heart problems, was awarded the Royal Order in 2001 for his contributions to French and British cultural relations.