The world of cinema is in mourning. Nathalie Baye, a prominent figure on the big screen, passed away from a neurodegenerative disease, her close ones announced on Saturday, April 18, 2026 to AFP. The actress died at the age of 77 “Friday night at her Parisian home from Lewy body disease,” according to a joint statement from her family.
Nathalie Baye made a mark on several generations of movie lovers. She worked with some of the biggest names in cinema, from François Truffaut to Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol, Bertrand Blier, and even Xavier Dolan. She leaves behind a rich and unique career. Besides her filmography, Nathalie Baye was also known to the general public for her past relationship with Johnny Hallyday, with whom she had a daughter, Laura Smet.
Nathalie Baye suffered from a little-known disease. She had Lewy body disease, a neurodegenerative pathology still unfamiliar in France. It manifests through cognitive, motor, and behavioral disorders that can progress over time. It falls midway between Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, making diagnosis sometimes complex. The disease affects the brain by causing an abnormal buildup of deposits known as “Lewy bodies,” which disrupt neuron function.
In general, a person suffering from the disease may experience “difficulties in visual and spatial perception. Attention disorders, very common at the onset of the disease, can be mistaken for memory disorders. They may also struggle to perform multiple tasks simultaneously and reason logically,” detailed France Alzheimer.
There is currently no cure for this disease. However, certain solutions exist to alleviate symptoms. “For cognitive symptoms, some medications used to treat Alzheimer’s disease sometimes work well,” specifies France Alzheimer. “For motor symptoms, treatments used for Parkinson’s disease, such as Dopa, improve walking or transfers,” it adds.
