Loana had hoped to find love. That’s why Loana was tempted by Loft Story in 2001. The reality TV concept was new in France at that time. The contestant was probably too naive when she entered. After the scandal with Jean-Edouard, Loana tried to cope with her sudden fame. But it was too much, too strong, and too fast. The star passed away at the age of 48 after a life filled with many lows.
According to the initial findings of the investigation, Loana’s death could be related to a fall backward. Following her passing, tributes and regrets poured in. Loana had been in distress for several years but tried to face life’s challenges. Some choose to remember the light that emanated from her and her struggle to be understood. Her publisher Thierry Billard is one of them. He worked with her on her book “Si dure est la nuit, si tendre est la vie,” published in 2018.
“How did the first meeting between Loana and her publisher Thierry Billard go?”
“For me, Loana was a fragile icon, like Marilyn Monroe,” he said. Working first under Flammarion, he recalls their first meeting in his apartment in the XVI arrondissement of Paris. In front of him, it was no longer “the Loft Loana” but the woman he discovered, which touched him greatly. Loana’s frankness, despite Alexia Laroche-Joubert’s futile help, struck him. She talked about things. The idea of a new book interested her, but she needed time,” explained Thierry Billard.
“What does Loana’s publisher Thierry Billard remember from his encounter with Loana?”
Loana, whose life was recounted in the series “Culte,” was fully involved in the book. She conducted interviews with Laurence Caracalla [co-author of the book], and when the manuscript arrived, she read it very closely, making corrections herself. She had impeccable spelling. Every email she sent, every sentence she rewrote, was perfectly crafted,” acknowledged her publisher. This book was supposed to mark a new beginning.
Faced with harsh criticism about her appearance, Loana chose to embrace herself on the cover. “She accepted to show herself differently, especially in terms of her outfit… There, she had lost weight and was proud of herself,” recounted Thierry Billard. Loana also brought “her own clothes, her belongings, what she truly liked” for an authentic portrayal. And then, a heartbreaking realization: “When she was in the spotlight, she was happy.” A happiness that came at a cost.
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