The beginning of the year 2026 has been one of the most devastating for the entertainment world. Following Bruno Salomone, Isabelle Mergault, and reality TV star Loana, Nathalie Baye has also passed away. On Friday, April 16th, the actress and ex-wife of Johnny Hallyday died at the age of 77 at her home. Fans were unaware, but Laura Smet’s mother was suffering from Lewy body disease, the same illness that affected former weather presenter Catherine Laborde. This news understandably saddened the French people, as Nathalie Baye was well-liked by the general public.
This sentiment was equally shared by her friends from the show-business industry, who gathered in large numbers for her funeral at the Saint-Sulpice church on April 24th. One notable absence stirred reactions: Laeticia Hallyday, Johnny Hallyday’s widow and Laura’s former stepmother.
The reason behind Laeticia Hallyday’s silence in the face of Nathalie Baye’s death
While Laeticia Hallyday paid tribute to her close friend Nadia Farès, whose funeral took place shortly after Nathalie Baye’s, she did not offer any words of remembrance for the actress. Even her own grandmother, Elyette Boudou, expressed her sorrow. “Tell Laura that I send my condolences and that I am very sad. I will say a little prayer for Nathalie,” she told Paris Match. So, why did the usually vocal mother of Jade and Joy remain silent on social media?
According to a source in the latest issue of Voici, available on April 30th, Laeticia Hallyday’s choice to stay quiet was primarily out of respect. “Laeticia considered that it would have been poorly received by Johnny’s daughter if she had spoken publicly,” our insider explained. Fearing to upset Laura Smet in such a painful moment, Serge Varsano’s current partner preferred not to speak out.
What were the relations between Laeticia Hallyday and Nathalie Baye?
Laeticia Hallyday and Nathalie Baye initially had a good relationship, which deteriorated due to the inheritance dispute between the widow and her stepchildren David and Laura. “I had a very intimate, close relationship with her. Initially, Nathalie viewed my arrival with suspicion, which I can understand, given my husband’s previous relationships. But over time, we grew closer,” Laeticia Hallyday had previously shared in an interview with Le Point in 2018.
She also mentioned being a significant support for the actress when Laura was going through a difficult adolescence: “Nathalie Baye would write to me behind her daughter’s back. I was very present for [Laura Smet]. This created a closeness with Nathalie.” However, after Johnny Hallyday’s death, their relationship deteriorated significantly, to the point where Nathalie Baye stated that David and Laura were Laeticia’s “black beasts,” a sentiment that the mother of Jade and Joy never forgave.
