
Undisputed icon of French chanson, Sylvie Vartan has led a discreet life in Los Angeles for over four decades, far from the Parisian spotlight. On January 12, as a guest on the show 20h30 Le Dimanche, the 80-year-old singer expressed her deep emotion in response to the fires ravaging California. An unprecedented disaster that darkens the enchanting setting in which she had flourished, marking a new painful chapter in a life already rich in trials and memories.
Between Paris and Beverly Hills, the Californian escape
In 1977, Sylvie Vartan discovered Los Angeles for the first time. Captivated by the light and climate, she made this sparkling city her refuge. After the publicized episode of her relationship with Johnny Hallyday, meeting Tony Scotti, an American producer with a profile as discreet as it is reassuring, marked a turning point in her life. Together, they settled in a villa in Beverly Hills, where intimacy prevailed over notoriety.

In the 1980s, L.A. represented for her a land of renewal, a peaceful interlude, far from the Parisian turbulence. "Our paths should have crossed earlier, but it was at the end of the world that we found each other," she smiles. Their home, surrounded by greenery, then became a haven of peace for their family.
An unimaginable apocalypse
Since January 7, violent winds have been fueling devastating fires on the outskirts of Los Angeles. More than 12,000 buildings have been reduced to ashes, and hundreds of families, including celebrities like Jennifer Garner or Patrick Bruel, have seen their homes go up in smoke. Around Sylvie Vartan, many have only been able to save a few precious memories.
Facing Laurent Delahousse, the singer shares her distress: "These are scenes of apocalypse. I have friends who lost everything in a few hours. Words fail me and the images haunt me." Usually radiant, Sylvie admits struggling to find serenity since the beginning of the disaster. On social media, she regularly posts messages of support: "My thoughts are with all those who are suffering from this tragedy in this city I love so much."
Los Angeles, city of contrasts
For Sylvie Vartan, Los Angeles remains much more than just an American metropolis. It is the backdrop of a second life, one that allowed her to rebuild, far from the Parisian hustle and the heavy shadow of Johnny. Her international successes have marked this unique trajectory, and it is here that she managed to reinvent her career, without denying her past.

Today, the "city of angels" has little left of paradise: Malibu beaches ravaged, hills ablaze, chic neighborhoods like Bel Air or Brentwood threatened by flames. These images of chaos impose themselves painfully, reminding us how relentless nature can be.
A music legend facing adversity
Sylvie Vartan long embodied the spirit of the yéyé France before establishing herself as one of the greatest performers of her generation. Daughter of Bulgarian immigrants, she traveled the world, building a popular and timeless body of work. At 80, she now accepts the need to slow down, while keeping her courage and desire to share intact.
Far from being indifferent to the drama shaking Los Angeles, she reacts with the modesty and empathy that characterize her. "We feel so helpless in the face of this force that destroys everything in its path," she confides, tears in her eyes. Yet, in this ordeal, Sylvie Vartan continues to illuminate those who have followed her for so many years, through her music and reassuring words. An icon with a big heart, determined to preserve the spirit of solidarity in this wounded city that remains, more than ever, her adopted land.