Who is Jeanne Marine? Bob Geldof’s ‘Tower of Strength’ and Partner in Life

For nearly three decades, French actress Jeanne Marine has been a steady anchor in Bob Geldof’s often tumultuous life, offering unwavering support through immense losses while helping raise their blended family with quiet resilience.

Their extraordinary love story—beginning at a Paris dinner party in 1996—has overcome language barriers, personal struggles, and heart-wrenching grief.

Before becoming Geldof’s “soul saver,” Jeanne (born Lallemand) was a Parisian actress with small roles, including a fleeting appearance in Braveheart (1995). Mel Gibson nicknamed her “The Mouse,” but when Geldof first met her in 1990, he saw a “staggering beauty” that reminded him of Brigitte Bardot. Six years later, friends set up their reunion as Geldof was reeling from his painful divorce from Paula Yates.

“I was a broken man,” Geldof admitted. “She didn’t speak English, I didn’t speak French. Yet this radiant woman chose me.”

Jeanne’s strength was tested early in their relationship. In 2000, Paula Yates tragically passed away from a heroin overdose, leaving behind her young daughter Tiger Lily, whom she had with INXS frontman Michael Hutchence. Geldof and Jeanne adopted Tiger Lily, giving her a stable, loving home away from the public eye.

“Tiger was raised with love and discipline,” said Yates’ biographer Gerry Agar. “Jeanne provided the stability that Peaches, tragically, never had.”

In 2014, the family faced another devastating blow when Geldof’s daughter Peaches, aged 25, died of a heroin overdose. The day after her funeral, in a moment of deep grief, Geldof proposed to Jeanne—calling it a way to “let air into a room suffocating with sorrow.”

The couple married in 2015 on a quiet beach on the French Riviera, far removed from the Kent church that had seen both weddings and funerals. Their intimate ceremony was witnessed by close friends including Bono, Demi Moore, and Richard Branson.

Now in their 70s and 60s, the couple keeps a low profile, but Geldof’s rare public tributes show their enduring love:

“After 25 years, she still electrifies me.”
“She found something lovable in this broken man.”

Jeanne, equally devoted, has often spoken of him fondly: “He’s compassionate, charming—the most handsome man in the world.”