Three years after their breakup, Michèle Laroque and François Baroin reunited at the funeral of Bernadette Chirac

The emotion was great this Friday June 12 in Paris. A week after the death of Bernadette Chirac, who died on June 5 at the age of 93, his loved ones gathered at the Sainte-Clotilde basilica to say a final goodbye. Her daughter Claude Chirac was present with her husband Frédéric Salat-Baroux, as well as her son Martin Rey-Chirac, the only member of the family to speak during the ceremony.

Many personalities also made the trip to pay tribute to the former First Lady. Brigitte Macron, Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni, Francis Holland, Dominique de Villepin, Édouard Philippe or even Line Renaud were present. But in the audience, a common presence also caught the attention: that of Michèle Laroque and François Baroin.

Michèle Laroque and François Baroin present to pay a final tribute to Bernadette Chirac

Very moved upon her arrival, Michèle Laroque chose to come accompanied by her daughter Oriane Deschamps. Mother and daughter appeared side by side to attend this ceremony particularly charged with emotion. A discreet but notable presence, like the actress who had long maintained links with several personalities close to the Chirac clan.

From son côté, François Baroin, former spokesperson for Jacques Chirac during the 1995 presidential campaign then member of his first government, has always maintained a privileged relationship with the former head of state and his entourage. His presence to accompany Bernadette Chirac on her last journey therefore seemed obvious. The former minister was accompanied by his wife Stéphanie Lochardwhom he married in September 2024. An appearance which did not go unnoticed since it took place at the same time as that of Michèle Laroque, with whom he shared a long love story.

Fifteen years of love and a smooth separation

For almost fifteen years, Michèle Laroque and François Baroin formed a solid couple. Their story began in 2008 and quickly aroused curiosity, as their worlds seemed so distant. The announcement of their separation in 2023 was therefore surprising. Asked about the end of their relationship, Michèle Laroque also insisted on maintaining a particularly benevolent view of the man who shared a large part of her life. “We had wonderful years together. Life took us in the same direction, then it pushed us in different directions. You have to know how to accept it“, she confided.

Before adding: “My view of François has not changed: he is a wonderful man who deserves all the happiness possible“. Since then, everyone has continued on their path. François Baroin has rebuilt his life with Stéphanie Lochard, while Michèle Laroque continues to share her daily life between her artistic projects and those close to her, in particular her daughter Oriane, with whom she maintains a very close relationship.