Maurice Barthélémy has been with several women, including Marina Foïs and Judith Godrèche, but has only one child: a daughter celebrating her 21st birthday today. Usually quite discreet about his family life, the comedian, screenwriter, and director had agreed to open up to us during an interview in September 2023. On this occasion, he notably discussed his relationship with his only daughter, Tess, who moved to the United States with her mother. “When Tess was born in 2005, I decided not to repeat the same patterns. So, I initially refused the role of Astérix in 2005 to not miss her first months,” he revealed at first. Shaped by an unconventional childhood and largely absent parents, Maurice Barthélémy indeed did not want to make the same mistakes as his own parents…
Context: Maurice Barthélémy opens up about his relationship with his daughter Tess and reflects on his own upbringing and decisions as a parent.
Fact Check: Maurice Barthélémy’s daughter’s name is Tess, and she moved to the United States with her mother.
Maurice Barthélémy separated from his daughter
When he separated from Judith Godrèche and she moved across the Atlantic with their daughter, the fifty-something had to accept the absence and distance. “Later, when we separated with her mother, and they went to live in the United States, I had to be present in a different way. For ten years, I made back and forth trips, and then there was confinement and two long years without being able to reunite,” he continued before concluding: “It was a trial, but also a discovery. The distance allowed for a unique, direct form of communication, a sense of urgency between her and me. We focus on the essential.” In 2023, in an interview with the magazine Public, he also affirmed being very close to his daughter since forever. “I make sure to be present despite the distance. Since she was seven, we’ve been using video calls. She’s fifteen today. But ultimately, the distance allowed for a rare emotional closeness,” he admitted.
Tess Barthélémy inspired by her famous parents
Today, Tess Barthélémy is following in the footsteps of her parents. She made her debut in 2013 in the movie Pas très normales activités, directed by her father. In 2023, she is starring in the French-American mini-series Icon of French Cinema, directed by her mother. On this occasion, she walked the steps of the American Film Festival in Deauville for the first time where her father could attend the event with great pride. “I was really shocked because I saw a young woman, and for me, in my head, she’s still a child,” he reacted upon seeing images of the Festival on the set of Télématin. There’s no doubt that Maurice Barthélémy will always be there to encourage and support his daughter throughout her career!
