Nadia Farès, the celebrated Moroccan-French actress best known for her compelling performance in the 2000 police thriller The Crimson Rivers, has died at the age of 57. Her passing comes after she was discovered unconscious in a swimming pool last week, leading to a week-long struggle in a medically-induced coma.
The tragic news was confirmed by her daughters, Cylia and Shana Chasman, in a poignant statement provided to Agence France-Presse. According to the family, the actress ultimately succumbed to cardiac arrest on Friday. “It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing of Nadia Farès this Friday. France has lost a great artist, but for us, it is above all a mother whom we have just lost,” the statement read.
The incident occurred on April 11 at the Blanche sports complex in Paris. Reports from Le Figaro indicate that Farès was rescued by a fellow swimmer who performed CPR before emergency services transported her to Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. While an investigation into the circumstances of the accident has been initiated, authorities have stated that no criminal offense has been identified at this stage.
Following the announcement of her death, her daughter Cylia shared a heartfelt tribute on social media, expressing the profound grief of losing her mother. “I know you fought your very hardest for your babies. Thank you for fighting, thank you for giving me life, thank you for every memory,” she wrote. “You have shown me how fast life can change literally overnight. I will take that with me everyday and make every day count for you. Rest so peacefully maman. Be my angel forever.”
Born on December 20, 1968, in Marrakesh, Farès moved to France at a young age to pursue her passion for acting. She made her film debut in 1992 with My Wife’s Girlfriends, but it was her role alongside Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel in The Crimson Rivers that solidified her status as a prominent figure in French cinema. Her career also included notable roles in the 2007 action thriller War and the horror film Storm Warning.
After a brief hiatus from the industry in 2009, during which she moved to the United States with her then-husband, producer Steve Chasman, she made a triumphant return to the screen in 2016 for the Netflix drama series Marseille. Following her separation from Chasman in 2022, Farès returned to France, where she remained until her untimely passing. She is survived by her two daughters, Cylia and Shana.