Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has begun serving his five-year prison sentence at La Santé Prison in Paris. Sharing this moment with him was his wife, model Carla Bruni, who stood by his side as he left their home.

Dressed entirely in black and holding her husband’s hand, she accompanied her beloved to prison, while a gathered crowd of supporters chanted Sarkozy’s name and sang La Marseillaise, The Independent reports.

 

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Публикация от LEGEND (@legendmedia)

On social media platform X, the ex-president addressed the citizens, declaring that he was the victim of political persecution.

«I want to tell the French people with all my strength that it is not a former president who is going to prison today, but an innocent man», he wrote.

Sarkozy was found guilty of conspiring with associates to obtain illegal campaign funding from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi during his 2007 presidential campaign. The politician firmly denies the charges, calling the case «an act of revenge».

 

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Публикация от Le Figaro (@lefigaro)

Despite his appeal, the former president will remain in custody for at least several months – until the hearing scheduled for March 2026. Thus, he has become the first president of France to actually end up behind bars.

Before his arrest, Sarkozy revealed that he had brought three books with him, including The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, noting that he does not fear prison and plans to use the time to write a new book.

Photo: Instagram @carlabruniofficial

Legendary 1990s supermodel Carla Bruni marked her son Aurélien’s 24th birthday with a touching post on social media. The star shared archive photos of her son and wrote:

«It’s already been 24 years since I was lucky enough to become your mom. Happy birthday. Time is on your side.»

Carla Bruni gave birth to Aurélien in 2001, when she was 33 and the child’s father, philosophy student Raphaël Enthoven, was just 23. Their romance caused quite a stir at the time: Raphaël was married then, and Carla had previously been in a relationship with his father, philosopher Jean-Paul Enthoven. After the breakup, Carla dedicated the song «Raphaël» to him.

In 2008, Carla married French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and three years later gave birth to their daughter Giulia.

Today, Aurélien leads an active social life: he travels, splits his time between Paris and New York, and has a girlfriend. In 2022, he made his debut in the fashion industry by walking in a Versace show — and seems to be following in his mother’s footsteps.

Photo: Instagram @carlabruniofficial, @a_enthoven

Supermodel and singer Carla Bruni shared rare photos of her husband, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, on social media. On the politician’s 70th birthday, she showed her followers images from their family archive.

«Happy birthday, my love. Time is on your side,» the celebrity wrote.

Bruni met Sarkozy in 2007 at a diplomatic reception, and on January 8, 2008, the politician, who was then still the President of France, confirmed at a press conference that he was in a relationship with the supermodel and planned to marry her.

The couple married on February 2, 2008, at the Élysée Palace, making it Sarkozy’s third marriage. On October 19, 2011, they welcomed their daughter, Giulia.

The star has called her marriage to the politician her greatest achievement. In an interview with Madame Figaro, the supermodel admitted that she underwent psychotherapy before getting married because she had a fear of commitment. However, Bruni confessed that she only truly breathed a sigh of relief after her husband’s presidential term ended.

The celebrity also revealed that her husband is a very impulsive person, just like herself, but over time, she learned to give in to her beloved and «keep her mouth shut.»

According to Bruni, they always try to find compromises and reach agreements, which she believes is the secret to their strong relationship.

Photo: Instagram @carlabruniofficial

On January 27, right after Men’s Fashion Week, the couture shows kicked off in France. Schiaparelli was the first to present its collection, as per tradition.

Among the celebrity guests at the show, we spotted Carla Bruni, Farida Khelfa, Emily in Paris star Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Kelly Rutherford, Leonie Hanne, and Anna Dello Russo.

The stars of the runway included Kendall Jenner, the «Model of the Year 2024» award winner by Fashion Awards Alex Consani, Mona Tougaard, and other top models.

Schiaparelli’s creative director Daniel Roseberry showcased the Fall-Winter 2025 haute couture collection, which received positive reviews from fashion critics.

The collection features embroidered fitted blazers with exaggerated shoulders inspired by Elsa’s 1930s jackets, mermaid gowns with large bows and trains, designs with voluminous hip overlays and intricate textures, as well as feathered capes.

Photo: Instagram @schiaparelli @sigm_photographys, @carlabruniofficial