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The month of March 2026 has definitely been one of the deadliest for celebrities. A few days after the disappearance of Bruno Salomone and just before Loana, France learned of the death of Isabelle Mergault, who passed away on March 20 at the age of 67. The actress and director, a iconic figure from “Grosses Têtes,” succumbed to liver metastasis from lung cancer, a disease she had not publicly revealed as she believed she would overcome it according to her close friend Laurent Ruquier.

Isabelle Mergault leaves behind a community of grieving fans and, most importantly, two daughters, Maya and Iris, whom she had adopted. As tributes continue to pour in since her passing, Gerard Jugnot, who had worked with her on numerous occasions, emotionally opened up about her illness on the show “1 hour with…” hosted by Bernard Montiel on RFM.

Gerard Jugnot reveals that Isabelle Mergault was already sick during “Meilleur espoir féminin”

In an exclusive excerpt revealed by Voici, Gerard Jugnot reflected on the early days of Isabelle Mergault, whom he had given a chance after recognizing her talent. “I had met her as an actress initially, she played small roles. And then I saw that she had written some quite interesting scripts, and I had connected her for ‘Voyage à Rome’ and then I asked her to write with me ‘Meilleur espoir féminin’ (released in 2000),” explained the former member of the Splendid troupe. It was during this collaboration that the collaborator of Thierry Lhermitte and Christian Clavier noticed the first signs of her suffering. Gerard Jugnot elaborated, “I knew she was sick at the time of ‘Meilleur espoir féminin’.”

“Yes because she had given me the script and she had edited it, and she gave it back to me saying, ‘Sorry, I have issues.’ There were still tears on the paper, it was… it had marked me,” added the 74-year-old actor. This memory, etched in his memory, speaks to the silent pain she carried within her during that period, long before the public suspected the extent of her battle.

Isabelle Mergault’s funeral details revealed

The details of Isabelle Mergault’s funeral were disclosed by her agent to AFP on Monday, March 23, 2026. The burial of the actress and director will take place on Monday, March 30, 2026, in Paris. A secular ceremony will be held at 10:30 am under the Dome of Père-Lachaise, offering a final space for remembrance for her loved ones and the public, who are explicitly invited to join this tribute. The late actress will then rest at Montmartre cemetery, where Lionel Jospin was recently buried. For those interested, flowers can be sent on the morning of March 30 to the Ménilmontant Crematorium.

Catch the show “1 hour with…” every Sunday at 11 am on RFM.