Visibly frail, Jean-Marie Bigard revealed that he had suffered three strokes. At 72, the comedian now suffers from balance problems and speaks frankly about aging, his health, and death with his two children, aged 13 and 15.
Three strokes, two of which occurred recently
Jean-Marie Bigard is going through a difficult period medically. The comedian explains on Sirènes that he suffered a first stroke two years ago, then two more much more recently: "I am calmly processing my strokes, three in total. One two years ago and two quite recently. It affects my life because obviously, I have balance problems in particular ," he confides.
Despite these lasting effects, he says he receives regular medical care and can count on the constant support of his loved ones. His wife, Lola Marois, remains particularly attentive to his health, as do his children.
“I am being very well looked after, my wife is very keen on it, and so are my children. They keep telling me: ‘Dad, don’t die, we need you’,” he says.
"Things aren't going to get better and better."
Jean-Marie Bigard makes no attempt to hide the effects of age or the physical decline he feels. The comedian admits to finding this gradual loss of abilities difficult to bear. "Feeling myself get old pisses me off , it's not going to get better and better, it's not going to get worse and worse. I'm just acknowledging my decrepitude ," he says frankly.
Her three strokes directly altered her daily life. Her balance problems are now the main visible consequence of these cerebral accidents.
His children are begging him not to die
Father of two teenagers aged 13 and 15, Jean-Marie Bigard also thinks about his children's future. He says he isn't worried about their paths, while acknowledging that his presence remains essential in their lives. "I've already seen my children start their lives, their careers, I'm not worried about them at all. But it's certainly better for them when Dad is still there than when Dad is gone ," he explains.
The comedian regularly talks about death with them. He chooses to approach the subject with humor, in order to defuse a prospect that has become more present since his health problems.
“I talk about it very often with them, as often as possible, and jokingly. I tell them: ‘Be careful when you yell at me or when you find a fault in me, because when I’m no longer here, I won’t have any more faults,’” says Jean-Marie Bigard.
