By Peter McLaren-Kennedy • Published: 13 Jul 2022 • 21:51
Charlotte Valandrey - Instagram Charlotte Valandrey
The French actress who had to cut short her career as a result of her heart condition and HIV infection was well known for her role in the 1985 film Rouge Baiser.
She was perhaps better known for her bestselling autobiography L’Amour dans le sang (Love in the blood) which was later adapted for TV.
In 2008, Valandrey suffered a heart attack after which she underwent a triple bypass. She later had a heart transplant but said on Instagram back in June that her heart was coming to the end of its life and that she would need a third.
Her family said in a statement: “On June 14, Charlotte had to have emergency surgery to replace her ‘second-hand heart’ as she called it, but this new transplant did not take, this third heart did not live.”
Valandrey was just 17 when she appeared in Rouge Baiser playing Nadia a young communist rebel whose ideals are put to the test after a romantic encounter. Not two years later and before her 18th birthday she learned that she had contracted HIV.
She never revealed where she contract HIV other than to say “With a gothic prince.” That relationship with a band member saw her career come to an end with promises made by film directors coming to nothing.
The actress will be more remembered for her illness and her HIV status than she will for her films after she died at the age of 53.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Originally from South Africa, Peter is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for the Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.