Actress, singer, inspiration of the famous Birkin bag, Jane Birkin dies at 76

PARIS — British-born actress and singer, Jane Birkin dies in Paris at the age of 76.

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The French Culture Ministry tweeted that Birkin died Sunday, according to The Associated Press. The ministry said France lost a “timeless Francophone icon,” Reuters reported.

French news outlets Liberation and BFM TV reported that she was found dead in her Paris house, according to the AP.

Birkin was born in London in Dec. 1946 to British actress Judy Campbell and a Royal Navy commander, according to Reuters.

She started performing on stage at the age of 17 and was in the musical “Passion Flower Hotel” in 1965, according to Reuters. She was married to the conductor and composer John Barry but that marriage ended at the end of the 1960s.

Birkin moved to France when she was 20 years old for a movie called “Slogan,” according to CNN.

The actress was known overseas for her 1969 hit song, “Je t’aime...moi non plus” which she sang with her then-lover, the late French singer/songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, according to Reuters.

Birkin and Gainsbourg, who was 18 years older than the actress, were together for about 12 years but stayed friends after their split, according to BBC.

The couple had a daughter together, Charlotte Gainsbourg, an award-winning actress and singer herself, BBC reported.

Birkin was the inspiration for the famous Birkin Bag by French luxury house Hermes, according to CNN.

French newspaper Le Figaro reported that Birkin has had health issues over the last few years that have kept her from performing or making any public appearances. BFM TV reported she canceled shows in 2021 after she suffered a mild stroke, according to the AP. She also broke a shoulder blade that led to her canceling shows last March. She was expected to make a return in May but put it off.

No immediate cause of death has been released.