Reem Kherici experienced a particularly difficult year in 2026. On April 17th, only 57-year-old Nadia Farès passed away after spending several days in a coma. She was found unconscious in a pool in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, five days earlier on Sunday, April 12th. The actress was reportedly a victim of a heart attack in the prestigious establishment in the heart of the capital. Touched by the news, Reem Kherici, who starred alongside Alexandra Lamy and François Cluzet in “Pour le plaisir” at the cinema, paid tribute to her dear friend on the set of “C à vous.”
“She was an amazing woman, a radiant actress, a friend of rare loyalty and generosity, and an excellent cook,” the 43-year-old director said, her voice breaking with emotion. “She was my son’s godmother, a precious friend. She was a true ray of sunshine and is missed by everyone. She had so many friends because she only spread joy and love. We miss her terribly. I will love her for the rest of my life, like her daughters. I have immense thoughts for Cylia and Shana. She leaves an immense void. And that smile,” she added, tears in her eyes.
Reem Kherici faced another tragedy when her mother-in-law, Baroness Myriam Ullens, was murdered by her stepson. The baroness was shot multiple times at the exit of her property in Lasnes, Belgium, while in the car with her husband. “One cannot imagine experiencing such a thing. It is unthinkable,” the actress shared. “We try to be resilient, very united, but it was a real tsunami. An hour before, everything was normal, and suddenly everything changed,” she added.
The victim’s funeral was held on April 7th, 2023, in Ohain, Belgium, in strict privacy. Also deeply affected, Reem Kherici stood by her husband’s side to support him through this devastating ordeal. At the time of the tragedy, the actress was pregnant with their second child. Their son, born in June 2023, brought a breath of fresh air to the family. In June 2019, the couple had welcomed their first son.
In 2025, Reem Kherici and Gilles Lemaire decided to separate. A painful decision for the director, but not one she sees as a failure. In an interview with Paris Match, she explained that she still had affection for her husband, the father of her two sons. “We adore each other. I will love him for the rest of my life,” she said. For the actress, this separation does not diminish their bond; she simply feels the need to regain serenity that she considers incompatible with the life of a couple.
“I am not meant to live with someone,” she declared. This need for solitude, space, and inner peace seems to be part of her personality, regardless of who she shares her life with. This desire for independence also explains why she has always refused official commitments. “I have turned down all marriage proposals from my lovers,” she revealed. “If I ever get married, it will be because I want to do something I have never done before. But I will never belong to you.” Freedom above all.
