Italian actress, Claudia Cardinale, popularly known as ‘Italy’s girlfriend’, passed away on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at the age of 87. She died peacefully at her home in Nemours, France, of natural causes. No specific medical details were publicly released, in accordance with French privacy laws. Her family confirmed the news of her death, and her agent, Laurent Savry, told AFP that the actress was with her children at the time of her death. As we remember her legacy, here’s a look back at her infamous love life.
Claudia Cardinale’s early pregnancy was not out of love
Claudia Cardinale had an unwanted experience at 17 with a Frenchman, reportedly about ten years her senior. As a teenager, she faced a traumatic s*xual a**ault, which resulted in the birth of her son, Patrick Cristadi. The identity of the French father remains unknown as she kept it a secret. Patrick was born in London in 1957 and was raised by Claudia Cardinale’s parents as her brother to avoid scandal. The truth was not revealed to him or the public until he was eight years old.
Claudia Cardinale met her first husband in her late 20s
Claudia Cardinale created a huge buzz in 1966 after confirming speculations that Patrick was actually her child, and not her brother. Amid the immense media attention and public debates regarding the issue, she grew close to Italian film producer, Franco Cristaldi. He guided The Leopard fame’s early career, and later, on December 28, 1966, he married her in Las Vegas. Claudia Cardinale later refuted that it was a legal marriage, stating that it was only a wedding party and that he was already married to another woman in Italy.
She wanted to end things with him because, according to her, he was controlling in nature. Describing their relationship, she said, “I was just an employee, like an office worker.” She separated from him in 1975; however, he legally assumed the paternal rights of her son. Despite Franco Cristaldi’s affection for Claudia Cardinale, he allegedly attempted to harm her career after their divorce by trying to ‘blackball’ her within the Italian film industry; however, this information is disputed.
Claudia Cardinale started living with the love of her life after her divorce
Claudia Cardinale met director, Pasquale Squitieri in 1973, while she was in a tumultuous relationship with Franco Cristaldi. After her separation in 1975, she started living with Pasquale. They met on the set of his film, I guappi (Blood Brothers). Besides being his lover off-screen, Claudia Cardinale also played the heroine of his movies on-screen. Pasquale Squitieri and Claudia Cardinale worked together in Corleone, Father of the Godfathers, Atto di dolore and Claretta, for which she won the Nastro d’Argento Award for Best Actress.
Though the couple never got married, they had a cordial, long-term relationship of 40 years, which ended with his death. In 1979, their daughter, Claudia was born. The Italian director passed away on February 18, 2017, in Rome from complications related to emphysema, when he was 78 years old. She considered him her ‘only love’ and, thus, remained unmarried till her death at 87 on September 23, 2025.
What are your thoughts on Claudia Cardinale’s pregnancy at 17 and her four-decade-long relationship with Pasquale Squitieri? Let us know.
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