Vanessa Paradis Biography, Career, Net Worth, And Other Interesting Facts

Vanessa Paradis is a famous French singer, model, and actress born on December 22, 1972. She became a star when she was just 14 because of her hit song Joe le Taxi in 1987. At 18, she won some big awards in France for both singing and acting.

Some of her notable movies include Élisa in 1995 with Gérard Depardieu, Witch Way Love in 1997 with Jean Reno, and Girl on the Bridge in 1999. She’s also known for her singing, especially for her album Variations sur le même t’aime which got her a Victoires de la Musique award.

She’s been a big inspiration for many musicians and songwriters who worked with her on different albums. She’s also a well-known model, appearing on lots of magazine covers like Vogue and Elle. Since 1991, she’s been the face of Chanel chosen by Karl Lagerfeld himself. In 2011, she got an award for her contributions to arts and letters, and in 2015 she was honored with a knighthood for her service to France.

Vanessa Paradis’s Early Life and Education

Paradis grew up in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, close to Paris. Her parents, André and Corinne Paradis, worked as interior designers. When she was young, she took dance classes, started learning piano, and even went to auditions to be a child model. When she was seven, she got her first taste of fame by appearing on a local TV talent show called L’École des Fans, where kids could showcase their singing skills.

Personal life

When Vanessa Paradis was 15, she started going out with a 26-year-old French singer named Florent Pagny. But that didn’t last long and ended in 1991. Then, from 1991 to 1996, she was with Lenny Kravitz, who was also the producer of her album called Vanessa Paradis in 1992. After that, she dated a French actor named Stanislas Merhar from 1997 to 1998.

Between 1998 and 2012, she was in a relationship with the American actor Johnny Depp. They have two kids together: a daughter named Lily-Rose Depp, born in 1999, and a son named John “Jack” Christopher Depp III, born in 2002.

In May 2014, at a fancy Chanel event in Dubai, Vanessa Paradis confirmed that she was dating a French singer named Benjamin Biolay. But that didn’t last long either and they split up in May 2015. Then, in November 2016, she started seeing Samuel Benchetrit, who directed her in his movie called Dog. They got married in June 2018 in a town called Saint-Simeon, where Vanessa Paradis has a house. Her dad used to own a little restaurant there. Vanessa Paradis has a sister named Alysson Paradis who is also an actress.

Career

1983–1991

In 1983, Paradis made her first single, La Magie des surprises-parties, but it wasn’t a big hit. However, it set the stage for her internationally famous song, Joe le taxi, which she sang at an Italian festival in 1985 when she was just 14. This song, written by Franck Langolff, topped the charts in France for 11 weeks and surprisingly did well in the UK too, reaching number three, despite being in French. It came from her debut album M&J but didn’t make waves in the UK charts.

At 16, in March 1989, Paradis left school to focus on her singing career. In 1990, she released another album called Variations sur le même t’aime, which included a cover of Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild Side. This album was a collaboration with French composer Serge Gainsbourg, whom she met when she won the best singer award at Victoires de la Musique in February 1990.

Her talents weren’t limited to music; in 1990, she also won the César Award for Most Promising Actress for her role in Noce Blanche.

In 1991, Paradis became the face of Chanel’s fragrance Coco. In the ad, she was dressed in black feathers, portraying a bird in a cage. The ad was directed by Jean-Paul Goude. Even in 2010, Paradis expressed her love for Chanel, saying, The more I know them, the more I love Chanel.

1992–1996

Back in 1992, Vanessa Paradis made a big move to the United States to team up with her then-boyfriend, Lenny Kravitz. She was getting fluent in English and started working on a new album. With Kravitz’s help, the album called Vanessa Paradis became a hit in France and even made it to the charts in the UK.

One of the songs from the album, Be My Baby, was a hit in France and also did well in the UK, landing in the Top 10.

Then, in March 1993, Paradis went on her first big tour, hitting up France, England, and Canada. A bit later, in February 1994, her live album was released in France. In April 1994, Paradis starred in the movie Élisa, which was a big deal in France and also got attention internationally.

1997–2006

In 1997, Paradis acted in a movie called Un amour de sorcière alongside Jeanne Moreau and Jean Reno. After that, she starred in Une chance sur deux with Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo. In March 1999, another movie of hers, La fille sur le Pont, directed by Patrice Leconte, came out. This film was unique because it was shot and released in black and white.

Moving on to 2004, she helped promote Chanel’s new handbag called Ligne Cambon. The following year in 2005 she modeled once more for Chanel, this time for The New Mademoiselle handbag. In 2008, she did modeling work for Miu Miu. Alongside her modeling career in 2006, she was part of a French children’s album and concert called Le Soldat Rose.

2007–present

In 2007, Vanessa Paradis a famous singer released her new album called Divinidylle. It came out on different dates in the UK and France. There were three versions of the album: a regular one, a limited edition, and a Christmas edition. She kicked off her Divinidylle Tour in October, and some of her concerts were recorded and later released as a DVD/CD. She won two Les Victoires de la Musique awards for this album in February 2008.

After that, Vanessa Paradis worked on various projects. She released a collection of her best songs called Best of Vanessa Paradis, which included the catchy tune I Love Paris in the Springtime. She also voiced a character in the animated movie Un monstre à Paris, which came out in 2010.

In 2011, she starred in a film called Café de Flore, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. She played the role of a single mother raising a child with Down syndrome in the 1960s. She received a Genie Award for Best Actress for her performance in this film.

Vanessa Paradis released an acoustic album titled Une nuit à Versailles in November 2010. It was recorded live at the Palace of Versailles during her Vanessa Paradis Concert Acoustique Tour. She also put together a collection of DVDs called Anthology, which featured rare live performances and interviews from 1987 to 2007.

In 2010, she became the face of Chanel’s new lipstick Rouge Coco, and their new handbag line Ranger.

Her international tour in 2011 took her to many countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Turkey.

In May 2013, she released another album called Love Songs, which was a double LP produced by French singer and producer Benjamin Biolay. Some of the songs were written by Biolay himself, while others were collaborations with different artists including Johnny Depp and her daughter Lily-Rose Depp.

In 2016, Vanessa Paradis appeared in the movie Yoga Hosers alongside her daughter Lily-Rose, playing the role of a history teacher. That same year, she was part of the main competition jury at the Cannes Film Festival.

Other activities 

Back in 1991, Calvin Klein asked Vanessa Paradis to be the main face for his new ads, but she said no. Instead, Kate Moss got the spotlight and became famous because of it.

Then, in 2001, Carla Bruni wrote some songs for Vanessa, but Vanessa thought they were too personal. She told Carla to record them herself. So, Carla did, and those songs became part of her album Quelqu’un m’a dit, which came out in 2002.

Jumping to 2014, Vanessa’s song Mi amor was picked for a TV ad campaign for Chloé’s Love Story fragrance. Mélanie Laurent directed it.

Net Worth

Vanessa Paradis’s Net Worth is estimated to be $100 Million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth.