The sudden disappearance of Nathalie Baye has taken France by surprise, her fans were unaware but behind the scenes, the very discreet actress was battling Lewy body disease, which also tragically took Catherine Laborde in January 2025. Following the statement provided by Nathalie Baye’s family, David Hallyday, Laura Smet’s half-brother, reacted strongly to the tragic news with tender words for his younger sister. He is not the only one saddened by this loss.
At 91, Elyette Boudou, Laeticia Hallyday’s grandmother, did not hide her emotions on April 18th: “It’s a lot,” she confided in Paris Match, also referring to the shocking loss of Nadia Farès. Before tensions around the inheritance permanently fractured relationships, Mamie Rock maintained sincere ties with Laura Smet’s mother. “I had very good relations with Nathalie. At one point, we talked a lot, she and I,” she fondly remembered. Memories flow between Gstaad, Los Angeles, and Quiberon, showcasing a peaceful time where family bonds outweighed conflicts. “She was a woman of class, very kind, and very beautiful. She was a great mother, very devoted to her daughter, Laura, who meant everything to her.”
Eliette Boudou, also known as Mamie Rock, admits: “It was complicated for me to call her.”
In Elyette Boudou’s account, the moments shared with Nathalie Baye take on a special significance. She recalls with a hint of sadness simple moments: “I remember when she came to spend a few days at Johnny’s chalet in Gstaad. In the morning, at the chalet, while everyone was asleep, we had breakfast together and talked.” Intimate and sincere exchanges, as per the nonagenarian: “We talked about her life, youth, Johnny, our intimate life too, women’s conversations, she shared things with me but I won’t tell you what.” According to her memories, at that time, the relationship with Laeticia Hallyday was still intact: “With Laeticia at the time, there were no problems; they got along well.” She cited instances when the two women went cycling together while Johnny stayed home. However, according to Elyette, it was all the “inheritance mess” that eventually broke the bonds. Despite the distance, the emotion remains strong for the elderly lady. “I recently found out that she was very ill; it was complicated for me to call her. Tell Laura that I offer my condolences and that I am very sad. I will say a little prayer for Nathalie,” she concluded.
Laeticia Hallyday faces an inconsolable loss.
For now, Laeticia Hallyday has not broken her silence about the former partner’s disappearance. On her Instagram account, she expresses her grief at the tragic loss of Nadia Farès, whom she knew very well. In the captions of many photos of the comedian, she mentions their unique friendship. She recalls “so many years of memories, so many years of laughter, confidences, shared life,” describing a rare and precious relationship, filled with support and complicity: “so many years of loving, growing, standing up, standing together.”
She emphasizes the essential role Nadia played in her life and that of her daughters Jade and Joy, “like a given, like a family.” Faced with this sudden loss, incomprehension dominates: “how to accept that everything stops so abruptly.. how to believe that you will no longer be here.” To cope, she clings to “her light, her strength, her laughter,” “the joy of life that made her so unique.” Despite “the tears,” she tries to soothe her pain by imagining Nadia “reuniting with her Johnny.” She concludes with a poignant reflection: “life hangs by a thread.. but love never disappears, it remains differently.”
