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Carla Bruni

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Carla Bruni
Bruni in 2021
Spouse of the President of France
In role
2 February 2008 – 15 May 2012
PresidentNicolas Sarkozy
Preceded byCécilia Sarkozy (2007)
Succeeded byValérie Trierweiler
Personal details
Born
Carla Gilberta Bruni Tedeschi

(1967-12-23) 23 December 1967 (age 56)
Turin, Italy
CitizenshipItaly
France (since 2008)
Spouse
​
(m. 2008)​
Domestic partnerRaphaël Enthoven (2001–2007)
Children2
Parent(s)Marisa Borini (mother)
Alberto Bruni Tedeschi [fr] (legal father)
RelativesValeria Bruni Tedeschi (sister)
Occupation
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • model
  • musician
Musical career
GenresChanson, French music
Years active2002–2008, 2013–present
LabelsNaïve Records, EMI
Modeling information
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Hair colorBrown[2]
Eye colorBlue[2]
Agency

Carla Bruni-Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (born Carla Gilberta Bruni Tedeschi; Italian pronunciation: [ˈkarla dʒilˈbɛrta ˈbruːni teˈdeski]; 23 December 1967) is an Italian and French[3] singer, songwriter and fashion model who served as the first lady of France from 2008—when she married then president Nicolas Sarkozy—to 2012.

She was born in Italy and moved to France at the age of seven. Bruni was a model from 1987 to 1997 before taking up a career in music. She wrote several songs for Julien Clerc that were featured on his 2000 album, Si j'étais elle. Bruni released her first album, Quelqu'un m'a dit, in 2003, which eventually spent 34 weeks in the top 10 of the French Albums Chart. Bruni won the Victoire Award for Female Artist of the Year at the 2004 Victoires de la Musique. The same year, Bruni released her second album, No Promises, then the following year, she released her third album, Comme si de rien n'était. In 2013, Bruni released her fourth album, Little French Songs. In 2017, Bruni released her fifth album, French Touch. In 2024, she walked in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Early life and family

[edit]

Bruni was born in Turin, Italy. She is legally the daughter of Italian concert pianist Marisa Borini and industrialist and classical composer Alberto Bruni Tedeschi.[4] In 2008, however, Bruni told Vanity Fair that her biological father is Maurizio Remmert, a classical guitarist who comes from a wealthy family. When Remmert met Marisa Borini at a concert in Turin, he was a 19-year-old classical guitarist, and their affair lasted six years.[5] Her sister is actress and movie director Valeria Bruni Tedeschi. She had a brother, Virginio Bruni Tedeschi (1959 – 4 July 2006), who died from complications of HIV/AIDS.[6] Her (legal) paternal grandparents and her maternal grandfather were Italian, while the last quarter of her ancestry is French.[7] She is second cousin of Alessandra Martines.[8][9]

Bruni is an heiress to the fortune created by the Italian tire manufacturing company CEAT, founded in the 1920s by her legal grandfather, Virginio Bruni Tedeschi. The company was sold in the 1970s to Pirelli (the brand continues in its former subsidiary in India, founded in 1958).[10] The family moved to France in 1975,[5] purportedly to escape the threat of kidnapping by the Red Brigades, a Communist terrorist group active in Italy in the 1970s and 1980s. Bruni grew up in France from the age of seven and attended the finishing school Château Mont-Choisi in Lausanne, Switzerland. She went to Paris to study art and architecture, but left school at 19 to become a model.[11] By her biological father, Bruni has a half-sister, Consuelo Remmert.[12]

Career

[edit]

1987–1996: Early career and modelling

[edit]

Bruni signed with City Models in 1987, aged 19.[11] Paul Marciano, president and creative director of Guess? Inc., came across her picture among composite cards of aspiring models, and chose her to model with Estelle Lefébure in campaigns for Guess? jeans.[11] Bruni subsequently worked for designers and fashion houses such as Christian Dior, Givenchy, Paco Rabanne, Sonia Rykiel, Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano, Yves Saint-Laurent, Shiatzy Chen, Chanel, and Versace.[11] By the 1990s, Bruni was among the 20 highest-paid fashion models, earning US$7.5 million in her peak year. While modelling, Bruni dated Eric Clapton, then Mick Jagger.[13] On 11 April 2008, a 1993 nude photograph of Bruni taken during her modelling career sold at auction for US$91,000 (€65,093) – more than 60 times the expected price.[14] She was a modeling subject of a 1999 trompe-l'œil wool-knit dress body painting by Joanne Gair that is included in Gair's second book, Body Painting: Masterpieces by Joanne Gair.[15]

1997–2005: Music career and debut album

[edit]
Bruni with actor Vincent Perez at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival

In 1997, Bruni quit the world of fashion to devote herself to music.[5] She sent her lyrics to Julien Clerc in 1999, based on which he composed six tracks on his 2000 album Si j'étais elle.[16]

In 2003, her debut album Quelqu'un m'a dit, produced by Louis Bertignac and released in Europe, was a surprise hit, selling 2 million copies.[16] Three songs from the album appear in Hans Canosa's 2005 American film Conversations with Other Women,[17] the song Le Plus Beau du quartier was used in H&M's Christmas 2006 commercial, and the title track was featured in the 2003 movie Le Divorce[18] and in the 2009 movie (500) Days of Summer.[19] In January 2010, her song "L'amoureuse" was featured in an episode of NBC's Chuck, "Chuck vs. First Class".[20]

In 2005, she wrote the lyrics for 10 out of 12 songs for Louis Bertignac's new album Longtemps, and performed two duets with him on the album, Les Frôleuses and Sans toi.[21]

2006–2008: No Promises and Comme si de rien n'était

[edit]

She continued recording after her marriage. She released her third album Comme si de rien n'était on 11 July 2008. The songs are self-penned except for one rendition of "You Belong to Me" and another song featuring Michel Houellebecq's poem La Possibilité d'une île set to music.[22] Royalties from the album will be donated to unidentified charitable and humanitarian causes.[23]

2009–present: Little French Songs, return to modelling, and other projects

[edit]

Bruni sang for Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday on 18 July 2009 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.[24]

In September 2009, she recorded a duet with Harry Connick, Jr. for the French edition of his album Your Songs. They sang The Beatles' song "And I Love Her".[25] The album was released in France on 26 October 2009.[26]

Following months of speculation, in a television interview broadcast on 23 November 2009, Bruni revealed that she had accepted a role in a forthcoming Woody Allen film. She admitted her reasoning for embarking on the Paris production; "I'm not an actress at all. Perhaps I'll be completely hopeless, but I can't miss an opportunity like this one. When I'm a grandmother I'd like to be able to say I made a film with Woody Allen."[27][28]

In September 2010, she contributed a cover of David Bowie's "Absolute Beginners" for the War Child charity record We Were So Turned On: A Tribute to David Bowie (Manimal Vinyl). They also released the track as a split 7-inch vinyl split with UK legends, Duran Duran.[29]

Italian singer/songwriter Simone Cristicchi's entry in the 2010 San Remo Italian Song Festival was the song "Meno Male", with the chorus lyrics of "Meno male che c'è Carla Bruni" ("Thank goodness for Carla Bruni"). The song appears to mock Bruni and her husband, but Cristicchi stated in an interview for Italian television weekly TV Sorrisi e Canzoni "I use sarcasm to explain our Italian way of always wanting to follow any type of gossip without being interested in real problems."[30] Bruni was to be a guest singer at the 2010 San Remo festival, but withdrew from participating.[31]

Bruni performing in December 2017.

In September 2017, Bruni, along with models Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, and Cindy Crawford, closed the Versace spring/summer 2018 fashion show, which was an homage to the late Gianni Versace.[32]

Bruni presented two three-part music series on BBC Radio 2: Postcards from Paris in 2014 [33] and C'est La Vie in 2018.[34]

Bruni is considered a fashion industry "legend", according to models.com.[35]

In October 2024, Bruni returned to the runway to walk in the first Victoria's Secret Fashion Show to take place in six years.[36][37]

Political activities

[edit]

Following Bruni's marriage to President Nicolas Sarkozy on 2 February 2008, she moved into the Élysée Palace for the remainder of Sarkozy's five-year term. Bruni was given an office on the east wing of the palace, which was known as "Madame's wing" and was assigned a private secretary.[38]

Although constitutionally, Bruni had no official role within the government, she assisted her husband with a number of official obligations. She also accompanied Sarkozy on state visits, most notably, to the United Kingdom, where her presence led to the visit being widely publicized.[39] Bruni also accompanied Sarkozy on a state visit to meet the Dalai Lama in August 2008.[40]

Bruni has represented The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria numerous times as an ambassador and has visited Burkina Faso and Benin while representing the organisation.[41][42][43]

In 2010, Forbes magazine ranked Bruni as the 35th-most powerful woman in the world.[44]

Personal life

[edit]

Political views

[edit]
Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni leaving the Elysee Palace, 15 May 2012

During the 2007 French presidential election, Bruni stated that she would have voted for Ségolène Royal, who was running against her future husband, Nicolas Sarkozy. Bruni said her lack of French citizenship disallowed her from voting, but she would have voted left-wing due to it being a family tradition.[45] In an October 2011 interview with the British newspaper The Sunday Herald, Bruni said, "My family have always voted to the left. It's tradition. I'll never vote right wing."[46]

In an interview with Le Point, Bruni said, when asked about her political leanings, "I am left wing, but I'm not against my husband or his party. I am not an activist." In a May 2011 interview with Le Parisien, Bruni said she no longer felt left-wing and identified as an ultra-Sarkozyist.[47]

In a 2012 Vogue magazine interview, Bruni stated, "My generation doesn't need feminism ... I'm not at all an active feminist. On the contrary, I'm bourgeois."[48] On 16 November 2020, she told BBC Radio Five Live: "Of course I'm a feminist, like every woman is" and "My husband is very much a feminist man." She also said that she was "not at all a political person."[49]

In 2012, she stated that she supports same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption.[50][51]

Relationship with the Enthovens

[edit]

In 2001, Bruni had her first child, son Aurélien, with philosophy professor Raphaël Enthoven. Bruni has been described as having been the mistress of Enthoven's father, journalist Jean-Paul Enthoven, when she began her relationship with the younger Enthoven, who was at the time married to novelist Justine Lévy; Bruni claims that she only went out with Jean-Paul Enthoven a few times and was never his lover, and that Raphaël Enthoven was already divorcing his wife when she encountered him months after last seeing Jean-Paul.[5]

The song "Raphaël" from Bruni's album Quelqu'un m'a dit is about her relationship with Raphaël Enthoven, and Justine Lévy's 2004 book Rien de Grave (published in English in 2005 as Nothing Serious) is about the end of her marriage; a character named "Paula" represents Bruni.[5][52] Bruni told Vanity Fair that Raphaël Enthoven ended their relationship in May 2007 because he felt they had become "like friends", and that they remained on good terms.[5]

Spouse of the president of France

[edit]
Carla Bruni with Gursharan Kaur, 14 July 2009

Bruni met the recently divorced French president Nicolas Sarkozy in November 2007, at a dinner party.[53] After a brief romance, they married on 2 February 2008 at the Élysée Palace in Paris. The marriage is Bruni's first and Sarkozy's third. Bruni acquired French nationality by naturalization on 10 December 2008.[54][55] She has since made contradictory statements as to whether she still holds Italian nationality, as well.[56] On 28 April 2014 episode of the Ellen DeGeneres Show, she confirmed that she still holds Italian citizenship.[57]

Following her marriage to Sarkozy, in February 2008, Bruni continued accompanying him on state visits, including to the United Kingdom in March 2008, which created a sensation in the international press and for the public in both Britain and France.[58] As First Lady, she had an office and staff at her disposal in the East wing of the Élysée Palace.[59]

Controversy arose on the eve of the state visit to the UK, with the publication by Christie's auction house of a nude photograph of Bruni taken during her career as a model. The photograph sold for $91,000.[60] Also, great interest began in Bruni's wardrobe, which was Christian Dior, seen as a diplomatic choice, since Dior is a French design house, but the wardrobe was designed by John Galliano, a British designer working for Dior.[61] Another controversy was the use of a popular photo of the French President and Bruni in the print advertising of Ryanair. The couple was awarded damages[why?] by a French court.[62]

In December 2008, Bruni sued the makers of a bag featuring a nude shot taken during her youth[when?]. Clothes designer Pardon produced 10,000 of the shopping bags emblazoned with the nude photo taken in 1993, showing Bruni staring at the camera with her crossed hands covering her crotch.[63]

On 19 October 2011, Bruni gave birth to a daughter, Giulia, in the Clinique de la Muette, in Paris.[64]

Witness tampering

[edit]

On 9 July 2024, Bruni-Sarkozy was put on bail after being charged with having put pressure on a witness who accused ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy of having received illegal campaign financing from Libya.[65]

She was suspected of being involved in bribing Lebanese judicial personnel.[66]

Discography

[edit]
Main article: Carla Bruni discography
Studio albums

Filmography

[edit]
Year Film Role Notes
1994 Prêt-à-Porter Herself Uncredited
1998 Paparazzi Herself
2009 Somebody Told Me About. . . Carla Bruni Herself 80-minute documentary film[67]
2011 Midnight in Paris Museum guide Directed by Woody Allen[68]
Nominated—Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Ensemble Cast
Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Acting
Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Honours

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Foreign honours

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Carla Bruni - Model Profile - Photos & latest news". models.com. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Carla Bruni". Storm Management. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Quand Carla Bruni raconte avoir demandé la nationalité française "par politesse"". Europe 1 (in French). 28 November 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  4. ^ "FACTBOX: Five facts about Carla Bruni". Reuters. 2 February 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Orth, Maureen (September 2008). "Paris Match". Vanity Fair: 2.
  6. ^ "Carla Bruni became Aids ambassador because brother died from disease". The Daily Telegraph. 1 December 2008.
  7. ^ Systems, eZ. "La généalogie de Carla Bruni". La revue française de Généalogie.
  8. ^ Média, Prisma (19 September 2021). "Le saviez-vous ? Alessandra Martines est la cousine de Carla Bruni - Gala". Gala.fr (in French). Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Cos'hanno in comune Fantaghirò, Carla Bruni e Valeria Bruni Tedeschi? Il loro legame vi sorprenderà". Cinematographe.it (in Italian). 24 February 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Bruni-Tedeschi, de la saga à la telenovela". Libération (in French). 4 February 2008.
  11. ^ a b c d "Carla Bruni". Fashion Insider. 7 June 2007. Archived from the original on 11 January 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
  12. ^ "Il padre naturale di Carla Bruni: 'Vi racconto il legame con mia figlia'". La Repubblica. 9 January 2008. (in Italian)
  13. ^ Bernhard, Brendan (2 February 2007). "The Supermodel School of Poetry". New York Sun.
  14. ^ "Nude photo of French first lady sells in New York for $91,000". International Herald Tribune. Bloomberg L.P. 11 April 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2008.
  15. ^ Gair, Plates section
  16. ^ a b "Biography – Carla Bruni" Archived 1 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine – RFI, July 2008
  17. ^ Conversations with Other Women (2005) – Soundtracks – IMDb
  18. ^ Le divorce (2003) – Soundtracks – IMDb
  19. ^ (500) Days of Summer (2009) – Soundtracks". IMDb.
  20. ^ "'Chuck': Chuck Versus First Class (2010) – Soundtracks". IMDb.
  21. ^ "Louis Bertignac – Longtemps". Discogs.
  22. ^ Bremner, Charles (21 May 2008). "Carla Bruni's new pot song". The Times. UK. Archived from the original on 28 May 2008.
  23. ^ Brandle, Lars (21 May 2008). "Bruni's 'Promises' To Arrive This Summer". Billboard. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  24. ^ "Bruni sings at NY Mandela concert". BBC News. 19 July 2009.
  25. ^ "Le duo de Carla et Harry Connick Jr" (French), Paris Match. 26 September 2009.
  26. ^ "Harry Connick Jr – Nouvel album « Your Songs » – Sortie le 26 octobre" Archived 7 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine (French), Sony Columbia France on MySpace
  27. ^ "Carla Bruni accepts Woody Allen film proposal" The Guardian. 24 November 2009.
  28. ^ "Johnny Hallyday following Carla Bruni into films". The Daily Telegraph. 25 November 2009.
  29. ^ "Boys keep swinging – Duran Duran / Absolute beginners – Carla Bruni". Music on Vinyl, 16 February 2011.
  30. ^ "Simone Cristicchi – Secondo me son tutti matti" Archived 24 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine TV Sorrisi e Canzoni. 10 February 2010
  31. ^ "Carla Bruni withdraws from festival 'over Sarkozy song'". The Daily Telegraph. 2 February 2010.
  32. ^ Singer, Sally (22 September 2017). "SPRING 2018 READY-TO-WEAR Versace". Vogue.
  33. ^ "Carla Bruni's Postcards from Paris". BBC Radio 2.
  34. ^ "Carla Bruni's C'est La Vie". BBC Radio 2.
  35. ^ "Legends". models.com. Carla Bruni - Few can claim to have been an all-star top model, first lady of France and a full-fledged chanteuse, but Carla Bruni is a force like none other. As a model, Bruni's compelling elegance made her a favourite of designers who embrace classism with an edge. Though she now splits her time between music and philanthropic work, Bruni resurfaces every so often for a choice campaign or cover - like her ongoing stint as the face of Bulgari, or turn guest editing Vogue Paris.
  36. ^ https://wwd.com/pop-culture/celebrity-news/carla-bruni-victorias-secret-fashion-show-1236686293/
  37. ^ https://style.nine.com.au/latest/victorias-secret-fashion-show-news-carla-bruni-victorias-secret-fashion-show-debut/65b0e96a-3fe1-4ce6-80e1-33194c3fff46
  38. ^ "Confidentiel : Carla prend ses quartiers à l'Élysée". Le Figaro (in French). 3 April 2008. ISSN 0182-5852. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  39. ^ magazine, Le Point. "Archives – Le Point.fr". Le Point.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  40. ^ lefigaro.fr. "Le Figaro – Politique : Carla Bruni-Sarkozyaccueillie par le dalaï-lama". www.lefigaro.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  41. ^ "Carla Bruni-Sarkozy visite les programmes de lutte contre le sida financés par le Fonds mondial au Burkina Faso". The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Archived from the original on 4 September 2009. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  42. ^ "(Unknown)". Retrieved 22 July 2017.[dead link]
  43. ^ "Carla Bruni-Sarkozy n'est "pas prête pour une carrière politique"". Libération.fr (in French). Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  44. ^ "Anne, Carla, Christine: les Françaises les plus puissantes dans le monde". L'Expansion. 7 October 2010. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  45. ^ "Carla Bruni : "Je voterai toujours à gauche"". L'Obs (in French). Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  46. ^ Lemarié, Alexandre (20 October 2011). "Carla Bruni-Sarkozy réaffirme sa volonté de voir son mari". Le Monde.fr (in French). ISSN 1950-6244. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  47. ^ "Carla Bruni-Sarkozy : "Je suis ultra-sarkozyste"". leparisien.fr. 2 May 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  48. ^ "Carla Bruni: Feminism Is Unnecessary". 27 November 2012. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  49. ^ "BBC Radio 5 Live – The Emma Barnett Show, 16/11/2020". The Emma Barnett Show. 16 November 2020. Event occurs at 1:43:31 and 1:49:41. BBC Radio 5 Live. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  50. ^ Nelson, Sara C (26 November 2012). "Carla Bruni Talks Feminism & Why She Disagrees With Nicolas Sarkozy On Gay Marriage". Huffington Post UK. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  51. ^ Littauer, Dan (25 November 2012). "Carla Bruni-Sarkozy states she supports gay marriage and adoption". Gay Star News. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  52. ^ John Follain (23 December 2007). "Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni: Coup de foudre". Times Online.
  53. ^ "France begins to grow weary with the Sarkozy soap opera". The Guardian. 13 January 2008.
  54. ^ "JORF n° 0288 du 11 décembre 2008 - Légifrance" (PDF). legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). p. 18888. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  55. ^ "Carla Bruni a obtenu sa naturalisation", Le Figaro. 9 July 2008.
  56. ^ "Carla Bruni Sarkozy: son pays, elle l'aime... mais elle le quitte!" Archived 21 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine – Marianne 17 January 2009 (in French)
  57. ^ "Carla Bruni Meets Ellen". 28 April 2014. Via YouTube.
  58. ^ BBC News In Pictures – Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. BBC News. 27 March 2008.
  59. ^ "Confidentiel : Carla prend ses quartiers à l'Élysée". Le Figaro. 3 April 2008. (in French).
  60. ^ "Nude Bruni photo sells for $91,000 in auction". Reuters, 11 April 2008.
  61. ^ "Carla Bruni styled by Englishman John Galliano". The Daily Telegraph, 27 March 2008.
  62. ^ "Carla Bruni awarded damages from Ryanair". The Daily Telegraph, 7 February 2008
  63. ^ "French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy sues bag makers Pardon over nude image", The Daily Telegraph, 12 December 2008.
  64. ^ "Carla Bruni-Sarkozy et sa fille Giulia sont sorties de la clinique de la Muette". Le Point. 23 October 2011.
  65. ^ "Carla Bruni-Sarkozy charged with Witness tampering over husbands campaign finance case". Sky News. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  66. ^ "Carla Bruni-Sarkozy charged with witness tampering". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  67. ^ "The Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy show" The Times. 28 December 2008.
  68. ^ "Allen reveals details of upcoming pic" Variety. 22 April 2010
  69. ^ Ina.fr, Institut National de l’Audiovisuel-. "Carla Bruni Sarkozy reçoit la Grand Croix au Bénin". Ina.fr.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Gair, Joanne; Klum, Heidi (foreword) (2006). Body Painting: Masterpieces by Joanne Gair. Universe Publishing. plates section. ISBN 0-7893-1509-2.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carla Bruni.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Carla Bruni.


Unofficial roles
Vacant
Title last held by
Cécilia Sarkozy 		Spouse of the President of France
2008–2012 		Succeeded by
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