The funeral of Isabelle Mergault was held on March 30, at Père-Lachaise, in the presence of her family and show business. His eldest daughter, Maya, spoke to pay tribute to him.
More than 600 people traveled to Père-Lachaise, in Paris, for the secular and public ceremony organized to pay tribute to the late actress and director Isabelle Mergault. His adopted daughters, Maya and Iris, also said their goodbyes. The eldest even spoke.
The words of Maya, Isabelle Mergault’s daughter
Now almost 18 years old, Maya has shown herself to be dignified and strong in the face of grief. Also comforting her younger sister Iris, 12 years old, whom Isabelle Mergault had also discreetly welcomed into her life and for whom she had initiated adoption procedures with her death; procedures not completely completed. “My mother was kindness, she was a caring, welcoming woman, always listening. She was often in a good mood, she was funny, and she managed to make me smile even when things weren’t going well. With her, I could say everything, I could tell her about my life, without filter, without fear“, she declared under the dome of Père-Lachaise.
Maya, who lived with the actress in a house in Pantin since her adoption in 2010, added: “Even though we didn’t share the same world, we were very close. And that cannot be explained. She was never wrong about my boyfriends or girlfriends. She was always right (…) Today, I lost much more than a mother. I lost a person who understood me without me speaking. A person who loved me unconditionally. A person who was part of me. But I know one thing. His love will never go away. It is in me, in my memories and in my way of being. In every moment I think of her. I love you, mom. And I will love you all my life.“
Laurent Ruquier also speaks
During this tribute ceremony to the director of I find you very beautifulvictim of cancer which “degenerated”, the host Laurent Ruquier also spoke. He paid tribute to the memory of his long-time friend, between humor and sadness. “I also remember that to the Big Heads you said: ‘I don’t want people to laugh at my funeral, I want people to cry!’ Don’t worry Isabelle, we’re crying. And it is to hide our tears that we try to smile“, he first declared.
And the latter has fun with the media coverage sparked by the death of his friend: “I’ve heard you talking to me every day since last Friday: ‘Do you realize? The front page of Match, I should have left earlier. Or again: ‘Ah, you see she’s nice, Loana. Within three days, I wasn’t on the front page.’ Every day I hear you. (…) Until yesterday, I had not dared to reread our exchanges by SMS. (…) In September, you wrote to me: ‘I’m going to be put to sleep tomorrow morning. If I don’t wake up, especially no Juliette Gréco at my funeral.’“Promise kept.
