News from Charles Biétry. This Sunday, June 14, Laurent Delahousse received two guests on his show 8:30 p.m. Sunday : DJ David Guetta, as part of his concerts at the Stade de France as well as the former sports journalist Charles Biétry, suffering from Charcot disease. Indeed, Charles Biétry revealed, in April 2023, to suffer from this disease which causes, little by little, the death of the cells controlling the muscles.
So, no longer able to speak, the 82-year-old man expresses himself via a keyboard and artificial intelligence which reproduces his voice. This is how he spoke with Laurent Delahousse, whom he received at his home in Brittany. While the 2026 Football World Cup has just started, the man who notably commented on football matches alongside Michel Denisot, who became his friend, and chaired PSG, was keen to give news de last état de santé. And above all support a big decision, a real fight for him.
Charles Biétry without filter on his end-of-life choice
Charles Biétry acknowledged to Laurent Delahousse that “Charcot’s disease caused some damage“, before describing his situation in more detail: “I hardly walk anymore, I have the greatest difficulty swallowing, and therefore eating, and I have lost my speech.“. Charles Biétry stated that Charcot’s maladie progresses “slowly†and indicated that “as long as the lungs resist, I’m still in the game“. Then to insist: “I’m still alive“. Charles Biétry also took advantage of this speech to reaffirm his wish to die with dignity, a choice he made a while ago.
“Dying in Switzerland, with medical assistance for the end of life that I would choose, very quickly appeared obvious. With the agreement of my family, I registered, regretting not having the same facilities in France.” he confided before adding : “I’m going to die, that’s for sure. But I don’t want to die badly. Dying on a hospital bed, inert, unresponsive, hopeless, barely reacting to the pain, while my wife and children cry in the hallway? Waiting for a last liberating breath which may take weeks to come? It’s no, no, no, I want to keep my freedom and my dignity until the end.” A mature choice that he already mentioned on TV in January 2025, even if his friend Michel Drucker was not completely convinced of it.
Activist for the right to choose one’s end of life
For several years, Charles Biétry has started a fight: he campaigns for the legalization of assisted dying with dignity in Francewhich is already possible in Switzerland and Belgium. He notably published an open letter addressed to the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, in order to draw his attention to this cause that he defends. The debate on the end of life and the right to die with dignity regularly comes to the forefront in France. At the end of last February, the National Assembly adopted a bill on assistance in dying. But last month the Senate rejected this text which must return to the deputies on July 15.
