Who was Claudia Cardinale’s first husband? Franco Cristaldi adopted late actresses’ son Patrick

Claudia Cardinale recently passed away at the age of 87. According to AFP, the Italian star died on Tuesday at Nemours, France, in the presence of her children.

"She leaves us the legacy of a free and inspired woman both as a woman and as an artiste," her agent Laurent Savry said in a statement.

Claudia was born in La Goulette, near Tunisia, to Sicilian parents on April 15, 1938. She began her career at the age of 16 in 1957 when she won a beauty contest, which crowned her "The most beautiful Italian woman in Tunis." The prize was a trip to the Venice Film Festival, where multiple directors and producers approached her. However, she had other plans.

"All the directors and producers wanted me to make films, and I said, 'No, I don't want to!' Claudia said in a statement.

Her father eventually convinced her to "give this cinema thing a go".

While picking up small film roles in her early career, the actress was r*ped at the age of 19 and decided to keep the child. According to The Hollywood Reporter, to ensure the child's future and protect her reputation, she was signed with Italian producer Franco Cristaldi, her soon-to-be husband, who told her to pretend her baby boy, Patrick, was her brother.

According to the outlet, she remained under Franco Cristaldi's professional guidance for around 18 years and eventually married him in 1966. According to Franco's IMDB page, he was the adoptive father of Patrick Cristaldi. However, the couple eventually divorced in 1975.

Speaking about her pregnancy in an interview with French daily Le Monde in 2017, she stated:

"I did it for him, for Patrick, the child I wanted to keep despite the circumstances and the enormous scandal. I was very young, shy, prudish, almost wild. And without the slightest wish to expose myself on the film sets."

This marked the beginning of her rise to fame, as she appeared in Fellini's Oscar-winning 8 1/2 in 1963, followed by iconic films such as The Leopard, The Pink Panther, Once Upon A Time In the West, and many more.

More about Claudia Cardinale.

🚨 With a heart swollen with sadness, I announce the passing of Italian 🇮🇹 actress Claudia Cardinale, who passed away at 87

An icon, a muse, beautiful, sweet and talented — she embodied for decades the eternal feminine ✨

RIPpic.twitter.com/G7rwJkJEJq

— Mambo Italiano (@mamboitaliano__) September 23, 2025

After separating from Franco Cristaldi in 1975, Claudia Cardinale married filmmaker Pasquale Squitieri, with whom she had a daughter, Claudia. According to Claudia, Pasquale was her "only love." He eventually passed away in 2017.

Speaking about her acting career during the Berlin film festival in 2002, Claudia stated:

"I’ve lived more than 150 lives – prostitute, saint, romantic, every kind of woman – and that is marvellous to have this opportunity to change yourself. I've worked with the most important directors. They gave me everything."

Meanwhile, fans flooded the internet with tributes following Claudia's passing, with many remembering her iconic roles in films.

"'Claudia Cardinalli is a natural beauty we don't see anymore these days.' This was a conversation between my mother and my grandmother. I would never remember it again, but now I can almost smell that afternoon... Life is crazy!" one user wrote.

"When I was about 8 I came home and my dad was watching Once Upon a Time in the West. Claudia stepping off the train. I thought that was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, couldn’t take my eyes off her even at that age. Underrated actress. Legend. RIP," another user wrote.

"How sad but what a beautiful woman. Seeing her in "Once upon a time with in the West" as a kid was amazing. Those eyes…" another user stated.

"I remember her in "Jesus of Nazareth", and also in the first Pink Panther movie. She was a stunning beauty. RIP 🙏🏼" another user commented.

Claudia Cardinale most recently appeared in the Swiss TV series Bulle in 2020.