PARIS, FRANCE: American actress Josephine Chaplin, the daughter of comic actor and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin, reportedly died at her Paris home on July 13, her family said in a statement. She was 74 years old. "She passed away peacefully, surrounded by her beloved family and friends," Josephine's estate told Fox News Digital in an official statement.
"For years, Josephine managed the Chaplin Office in Paris on behalf of her siblings until she took leave to care for her husband Jean-Claude Gardin," the statement added. No immediate cause of Josephine's death has been made available to the public. As per Fox News, a funeral service for the actress was held at Pere Lachaise on Friday, July 21, afternoon.
A look back at Josephine Chaplin's life
Josephine was one of the eight children Chaplin shared with his fourth wife, Oona O’Neill, and the sixth of the total of 11 children he fathered with three of his four wives. She was born on March 28, 1949, and decided to follow her father's path to dabble in acting. She made her debut as a child in Chaplin's 1952 film 'Limelight' alongside her siblings Geraldine and Michael.
She also worked with her father in the 1967 rom-com 'A Countess From Hong Kong.' In 1972, she played the role of May in Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 'The Canterbury Tales.' That same year, Josephine also appeared with Laurence Harvey in Menahem Golan’s 'Escape to the Sun.' She also starred in 'L’odeur des fauves,' 'The Bay Boy' and 'Jack the Ripper.'
As an actress, Josephine mostly worked on French features like 'Nuits rouges' and 'A l’ombre d’un ete.' According to IMDB, her last acting credit came in the 1994 film 'Ciudad Baja.' In addition to her career as an actress, Josephine also managed the Chaplin family office in Paris. Back in the day, she also sponsored a statue of her father in Waterville, Ireland.
Josephine was also caught up in a bizarre extortion plot in 1978, shortly after the death of her father, whose body and coffin were stolen by two men. The Chaplin family refused to pay a ransom and the filmmaker's remains were found 11 weeks after the body's disappearance.
Who is Josephine Chaplin survived by?
Josephine is reportedly survived by her brothers Michael, Eugene and Christopher; sisters Geraldine, Victoria, Jane and Annette; and her sons Charly, Julien and Arthur, as per The Hollywood Reporter. She shared son Julien with French actor Maurice Ronet. The pair lived together until the latter died in 1983.
The actress had son Charly with her first husband, Greek businessman Nikki Sistovaris. The couple tied the knot in 1969 and divorced in 1977. Josephine shared her youngest son Arthur with her second husband, archaeologist Jean-Claude Gardin. The duo married in 1989 and stayed together until Gardin's death in 2013.
