Claudine Longet, the French singer and actor who shot and killed her Olympic skier boyfriend in 1976, has died at the age of 84. Her nephew, Bryan Longet, announced her death in a social media post on Thursday, describing her as a true inspiration. He confirmed her death by phone but did not disclose the cause.
Born in Paris, Longet began acting as a child and later recorded the hit album Claudine. She was best known for the bossa nova ballad 'Nothing to Lose' from the 1968 film The Party, in which she starred alongside Peter Sellers. At the time, she was married to singer Andy Williams, whom she had met while dancing in a Las Vegas revue.
By the mid-1970s, Longet and Williams were divorced, and she was living near Aspen, Colorado, with Vladimir 'Spider' Sabich, a US Olympic skier. On 21 March 1976, she shot him with a Luger pistol at their home, claiming he had been showing her the weapon and it fired accidentally. Sabich, 31, died from a single shot to the abdomen.
Her trial in Aspen attracted worldwide attention. Williams supported her throughout, paying legal fees and escorting her to court. He maintained her innocence, calling the shooting an accident. Longet was charged with reckless manslaughter, but the jury found her guilty of negligent homicide in January 1977. She received two years' probation, a $250 fine, and 30 days in jail, served on dates of her choosing.
The case effectively ended her entertainment career. She later married her defence attorney, Ron Austin, and lived with him in Aspen. A lawsuit from Sabich's family was settled with an agreement that barred Longet from discussing Sabich or the trial.
