Guest on the show Extraordinary love stories on Europe 1 this Saturday September 28, Benjamin Castaldi spoke about the alcoholism of his grandmother Simone Signoret and the violent arguments with Yves Montand which he witnessed.
This Saturday, September 28, Sophie Davant recounted the love at first sight of the legendary couple Simone Signoret and Yves Montand in her show Extraordinary love stories on Europe 1. To retrace this love story, the journalist received Benjamin Castaldi, the grandson of the French actress who died in 1985. Fascinated by the relationship his grandmother had with the famous singer, the former columnist of TPMP even wrote a play, Bungalow 21about Yves Montand’s adultery with Marilyn Monroe which caused a scandal in the 1960s, and in which sisters Mathilde and Emmanuelle Seigner caused a furore. At the microphone of Europe 1, Benjamin Castaldi returned to the roller coaster relationship of Simone Signoret and Yves Montand.
Benjamin Castaldi discusses Simone Signoret’s alcoholism which was the cause of violent arguments with Yves Montand
For Benjamin Castaldi, his grandmother’s alcoholism caused numerous crises within his relationship. “I witnessed some very, very loud shouting matches, bordering on violent. It was very bloody but my grandmother pushed herself to the limit”he detailed about the scenes of argument between Simone Signoret and Yves Montand which he witnessed. “Especially at the time when, in the 70s, she had a penchant for the bottle”he said, concerning his grandmother’s addiction to alcohol before revealing Yves Montand’s suffering on this subject: “Which made Montand extremely sad because it was complicated, because someone who drinks is very complicated.”
Benjamin Castaldi tells how his grandmother Simone Signoret gave up alcohol “overnight”
Asked about Yves Montand’s guilt regarding Simone Signoret’s alcoholism, Benjamin Castaldi was blunt. “No because it was too easy to say that it was his fault but the slip on the drinking was quite strong”he replied to Sophie Davant. An addiction that ended because of a “health problem in the years 75-76” according to the revelations of his grandson: “She stopped drinking overnight.”
