She had been discreet lately. Nathalie Baye was battling an illness that eventually took her. Like Catherine Laborde or Robin Williams, the actress was affected at the end of her life by Lewy body disease, a neurodegenerative condition. She was weakened towards the end of her life, as revealed by Gérard Lanvin, who had seen her one last time a year before her passing. Laura Smet, who had settled in the southwest, made the decision in 2025 to come back to Paris to be by her mother’s side. Finally, the terrible news was announced over the weekend. Nathalie Baye passed away on the evening of Friday, April 17 at the age of 77.
Many tributes after the passing of Nathalie Baye
Since then, tributes have poured in, including from the daughter she had with Johnny Hallyday. On Sunday, Laura Smet found the strength to post a touching message on Instagram. Dominique Besnehard, who knew Nathalie Baye very well as her agent for 20 years, also expressed his sorrow. The talent agent mentioned Laura Smet’s “exemplary courage” in facing the loss of her mother. He also reminisced with Le Parisien about moments in life he shared with the actress from Vénus Beauté (Institut). It was revealed how crucial Nathalie Baye’s role was in getting her to join the film Catch Me If You Can with Leonardo DiCaprio, who eventually called her his “Parisian mom.”
Nathalie Baye’s little piece of paradise in Creuse
The creator of the series Call My Agent also recounted the vacations he spent at Nathalie Baye’s property in Creuse. During the 80s and 90s, the actress spent a lot of time in her house surrounded by nature. At the time, she was in a romance with Johnny Hallyday, and it was not unusual for the villagers to see them out shopping. Very attached to this property, Laura Smet’s mother could lose her sweetness if she felt threatened. Dominique Besnehard explained, “I spent so many vacations with her, at her house, between August 15 and 31… Nathalie adored nature.”
Nathalie Baye was ready to “pull out the rifle”: when a neighbor pushed the actress too far
The actress saw red when a neighbor dared to encroach on her territory. “When she was in Creuse, she was Joan Crawford in the western ‘Johnny Guitar’! She never talked about the business. Once, one of her neighbors cut down trees without permission. She went to see him, I felt like she was about to pull out the rifle!” remembered Dominique Besnehard with a smile. After her breakup with Johnny Hallyday, the actress continued to visit her house in Creuse. A paradise that she eventually sold in 2008 for around 600,000 euros. Unfortunately, the property is now falling into ruins…
