December 1964 Garbo Magazine article translated by Elia at the Nico yahoo group
Alain Delon is the father of my son
In Paris it has exploded a great scandal: Alain Delon - who is in America with his wife Natalie and his recently baby-born son - has been called at the Court by a German actress who attributes him the paternity of her son.
By Enrico Giuffredi
“Yes, I took the decision to denounce to the tribunals Alain Delon, I’m not looking for an easy publicity through the man’s name fame, I think my son Ari, who is actually two years and a half, would not be ashamed of me and of a father who did nothing to recognise him. Alain Delon is the father of this boy. He has always known it and he hadn’t tried to deny the truth; but due to his lots of commitments, and also the bad advices, he never had time to listen to the voice of his blood and his heart”.
Nico Otzak is the young woman who explained this; she is a young “cover-girl”, singer and actress, who did a small role in Federico Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita”.
We have located Nico at a friends house after long searches, even after having waiting for her at Rue Boucherie, where she lived and disappeared the day the Sena Court accepted – trough her petition - to mention to judgment Alain Delon for his paternity denial. Since then, Nico hides, and she has chosen as a refugee in a non-important street of Montparnasse where she lives under the protection of painters and artists friends.
Our visit is the last chance for Nico, who denied making press declarations.
She knows her lawyers showed us the deposition text and our visit has the aim of her confirmation. “Since the journalists follow me – she says – I live horrible days”.
“I suffered too much”
But Nico can’t hide her edginess to the point we have been the only ones who paid her a visit in the refugee where she thought she was safe. She tries to smile; she moves her hands restricted and her beauty green eyes spark. We wait her to calm down and being herself to talk. We wait for a question to start our conversation in the easiest way for her. Finally she asks: “Which is the exact point do you want to know?” We just show a copy of her statement to her lawyer, Mr. Hayot, in which it is explained day by day, her idyll with Delon and the birth of her son Ari. We confirm her that the judgment will be celebrated at the second half of next January, in first audience, at Sena Court and that the citation was presented the last October.
“That’s very soon! – is what she says -. I thought this horrible day would never come. Now I have to face a hard deal, I know, and I’m determined. I’ve suffered a lot and I’m going to encourage myself by saying this is for Ari, and not for myself, for who I’m fighting for.”
What Nico explains us is the confirmation of her declaration she subscribed in front of her lawyer and which starts like this:
“I knew Alain Delon five years ago, in Ischia, where I was playing a small role for “En Plein Soleil”, a film by René Clément. I fell in love with him [Alain Delon], he was so kind and gently and we had a short relationship. We separated because I had to go to New York, where I had some assignations in the high “couture”. Soon after Alain arrived in America, he called me saying he wanted to see me. For that time I was working for Ellen Ford, at the same time I was attending at declamation courses of Strasberg.
“One night I went out with Alain, with David Cunningham and other people, to go to New York nightclubs. Later on we both were looking for apartments for living together. Alan ordered to bring by air mail his Ferrari from Europe in which we did a great travel to Ohio. Alain drives rashly: more than once the police accused us for diving too fast.
“For a time we were living in New York. One night we were called by The Strasbergs, Alain didn’t come. He abandoned me even before I knew I was pregnant from him. I stayed three months in New York, alone, thinking he would come; later on, distressed, I went to Paris to look for him, to meet him. I tried to call him but I couldn’t contact me. Invariably, they always told me Alain was absent”.
“He promised me a house”
“I was embittered, depressed, and desperate. My nerves were going to explode and I went to Spain with my mother as the doctors advice. Some months later I went to Paris because I wanted the baby being born in Paris just as his father. The 11th August 1962 in a Neuilly clinic a boy was born and he was called by imposition Christian Aaron.
“After Ari’s birth, I wrote a letter to Alain, to make him know he had a son. At that time he was in Sicily, filming “The Gattopardo” of Luchino Visconti. For two months I waited for an answer, and seeing I didn’t get one, I wrote him again. Finally, after this second letter he called me and told me “Do you want to eat with me?”, I happily accepted and we met in a restaurant in Avenue King George V. Ours was a very sweet meeting, like two people who really love themselves, like a reconciliation. We discussed about our son baptism and Alain, who is Catholic - while me I practice Protestant religion – he asked me that the boy should be baptized as the Roman rite. Also, he told me: “I’m going to buy you a flat where you could live with the kid. A mutual friend will take care of you. If you need something just call me at Hotel Carlton, in Cannes”.
At that time Alain was filming “Melodies in sous sol”, with Jean Gabin, in the Côte d'Azur. Two days after our meeting in George V Avenue, the “mutual friend” came to confirm the promises. But it didn’t pass too much days when came the husband of this girl. “Alain” – he told me – “he does not want to know anything about this”.
“I had the feeling Alain didn’t know about what these people were doing, plus I thought there were other interests in keeping Ari away from Delon. Making a balance of my situation, without meanings, having to take care of a baby boy and me, I started working again going to London, the United States and then to Paris. Occasionally I received some economical help from Alain.
“But I still loved Alain and some months ago I decided to pay him a visit. I wished he would recognize at least the fruit of our love, our little Ari who grew up becoming a very beautiful two-years-old boy. Carrying my son, I went to the Saint Maurice studios where Delon was filming “L’Insoumis”. Alain shook to see his baby-son and he gave me some money for attending our son. “Nevertheless” – he told me – “I am ready to take care of Ari, but not of you”.
“No me, this wasn’t new. My job, thanks to God, always gave me the meanings I needed to live, and I never gave up working. Before I could go to London, where I had to sign a contract as a singer and for to pose for a photographer for my fashion career; only two days after my meeting with Alain, his secretary Georges Beaume came to visit me. “Alain” – he told me sharply – “he wants this story to be finished”.
“This time Georges was irate, but I felt he was there because somebody wanted to keep separated Ari and me from Alain. Now, being fed up of false promises, I work again and I trust French justice the task to prevail the single mother rights.”
Here ends the declaration Nico took in front of her lawyer. But she wants to explain to us some of the edges of this story.
It is true, word by word, what I’ve declared and signed to the lawyer Hayot. Except two details: the first one respects the life Alain Delon and me had in New York. We never looked for a house because I had my own apartment, it was he who came to visit me. The second is about the declaration I said I received some money from him for Ari’s maintenance. I swear I never received any money from Alain, not a single cent.
“I’m not going to visit him again”
“Yes, I know, everybody says that Alan is married and has a son in America, but doesn’t suggest to anybody the fact that he married outside France and his son was born in America where a divorce does not cost any problem? In my heart I am convinced of one thing: if Alain has done his best to shy away just because every time we've seen he has realized that we were again, the one and the other, those who had been in the early days of our romance. I do not want just make more statements because I have no intention of harming Alain, and also I do not want to marry him or anyone. The only thing that does not relent and so I'm willing to fight to the end is our son, who should bear the surname of his father.”
Nico is so excited she begins to cry. Nico, who actually is called Christa Paeffgen was born on October 16, 1938, in Cologne, and lived until the age of 15 in Berlin. Her father was an archaeologist and her mother a dressmaker. When her father died she moved to Spain with her mother, and she began to work as covergirl and “haute couture” model. Then she started a singing carrer and finally she became an actress.
Soon, Nico will go to Hollywood, where a famous film director has been required to make a test. The fact of moving to America, where Delon is currently with his wife Nathalie, has not produced any effect on her. "I don’t want to try to see Alain even if he sinks into the world," he says. "He always knows where to find me if he likes. If he calls me I’ll tell him that his little lion -Aaron is Hebrew for lion, she does not deny the name it bears- in Spain, where he lives with my mother, he destroys everything that falls into his hands ".
We asked the lawyer if in his opinion Nico will obtain from Delon the recognition of the child. Haynot Rene smiled. "My profession is a lawyer and not to guess the future, although if I agreed to sponsor this customer is because I am sure of the result."
- Is there any evidence and witnesses that can confirm the complaint of the girl? - We asked.
- Currently I deal with the Jaccoud review process, one of the most intrinsic prosecutions of our time. It is logical that if we face a case that everyone thinks it is finished is because I wish there are itmes enough which give me the strengh of keep on fighting. One of the oldest rules of our profession is to recognize or intuit the truth. It is true that we can make mistakes. The case Nico Otzak raised against Alain Delon to recognize his child takes on an episodic importance..