“When I met Germain, I was against love. I thought it was an invention of literature or capitalism in Coca-Cola ads,” confides Pablo Pillaud-Vivien. However, between the columnist for BFMTV and RTL, editor-in-chief of the magazine Regards, and the star dancer of the Paris Opera, it quickly became obvious. “The day after our first date, we were a couple,” they say. “I was seduced by his insolence, his intelligence and his humor,” assures Germain Louvet. A few months later, Pablo left his parents’ house, Parisian architects, and moved in with his partner, in a 27 m2 apartment on rue Saint-Denis. Much to his mother’s dismay. “She liked Germain right away but she didn’t like me leaving the family cocoon,” admits the columnist for BFMTV. “And yet I was 27 years old!”
Still very close to his mother, Pablo calls her every day. And he also gets along very well with Germain’s mother, who speaks to him when she can’t reach her son. He turns off his phone when he rehearses daily at the Opera from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. When they meet, they come from different backgrounds, even if they each gravitate in intellectual and artistic spheres. Pablo, who worked in offices at the Ministry of Culture or at the Paris City Hall, before choosing the media path, is already very involved in the left and all his friends are in activist circles. Originally from Givry (Saône-et-Loire) and arrived in Paris at a very young age, in order to pursue his passion for dance, his companion grew up in a less politicized environment, with a father who is an executive and a mother who is a social worker. “Before I met him, I had never marched on May 1st,” he admits. “It never scared me. In my eyes, it’s positive when someone gets involved. It’s naive for artists to say that we’re not interested, because our professions depend, in fact, on politics. Furthermore, he adds, “the aesthetic gesture is a political gesture. A choice about what we want to show.”
In his book Des choses qui se dansent (Fayard), Germain Louvet challenges the codes instilled, questions the stereotypes of bodies and asserts that the spark of difference can exist, that each role can tell each person’s own story. He easily managed to share his passion with Pablo. The latter admits, however, that he did not really see the point of an institution like the Paris Opera before meeting him. “I was curious to discover this world and now I love classical ballet,” he says. “I go to all of Germain’s shows. I’ve seen Giselle about twenty times and I never get tired of it!” Following him closely has also allowed him to have incongruous encounters, such as with the Russian Svetlana Zakharova. Putin’s supposed mistress was Germain’s partner on stage, but also a member of the Duma. “We spent an evening together at a restaurant, during which I behaved myself!” ” jokes Pablo. While he doesn’t watch all of his TV appearances, his partner enjoys seeing him debate with journalistic figures like Alain Duhamel. “When I see the credit he gives to Pablo, it makes me proud. People also stop him in the street and thank him for his stance, particularly against racism and anti-Semitism.” And he quotes the museum guard who recently told him that it was thanks to people like him that he didn’t leave France, despite the racism he faced on a daily basis. “Pablo is no Mother Teresa, but it’s nice to hear that,” says Germain. The two also share a sense of humor and like to tease each other like two big kids.
“There are far too many people who pretend to be grown-ups,” they say with a burst of laughter. As we head towards the Ourcq canal, a stone’s throw from their current Parisian home, for our photo shoot, Pablo Pillaud-Vivienne becomes serious again, when he admits that he does not allow himself any tender gestures towards sight of his companion in public places. “I never had to experience homophobia in my youth,” he slips. But I was marked by the violence of people opposed to marriage for all. I anticipate hostile reactions, aggressiveness. » Germain Louvet rolls his eyes to the sky. “We are no longer in the Middle Ages! » However, he also realizes how lucky he was: “My parents always accepted me as I was. As I am. » Very close to their families, they are thinking of forming one as quickly as possible. “We want to adopt. We have started a process to obtain approval, they assure. We have had this desire to have children since we met eight years ago. » From a pas de deux to a pas à trois, obvious.
This article could be found in Gala N°1619, available on June 20 on newsstands. To follow the news live, you can join Gala’s WhatsApp thread. The new issue of Gala was released this Thursday, June 27, 2024. Enjoy reading.
Photo credits: PHOTOS THOMAS LAVELLE
