The Guerlain family founders of France’s oldest perfume company, is surrounded by a cloud of discord., as a years-long dispute involving claims of neglect, harassment and a vast family fortune, returns to court.
At the centre of the drama is patriarch Jean-Paul Guerlain, 81, a celebrated perfumer and one of the great ‘noses’ of the 20th century who is responsible for bestselling scents including Samsara, Nahema and Jardins de Bagatelle.
Guerlain was responsible for the 1994 sale of the brand and the subsequent acquisition by LVMH, a French luxury goods company. This left the Guerlain family with an estimated 2 Billion Euro fortune.
The Perfumier has a type of Alzheimer’s and remained active in the company through 2010, when LVMH ended all ties with him after he said the N word on national television.
The row is between Mr Guerlain’s 63-year-old companion and his only son Stéphane, 61, an intellectual property lawyer who has been his father’s legal guardian since 2013.
Stéphane opposes Mr Guerlain’s relationship with Danish-born Christina Kragh, an elegant blonde equestrian 18 years his junior who has lived on the sprawling 133-acre Guerlain estate south of Paris since 2005.
Jean-Paul Guerlain (81), a celebrated perfumer who was one of 20th-century’s greatest ‘noses’ and is responsible for many of the most popular scents such as Nahema, Samsara and Jardins De Bagatelle. Pictured, with his girlfriend Christina de Kragh, 63
Father and son feud: The row is between Mr Guerlain and his only son Stéphane, 61, a intellectual property lawyer who has been his father’s legal guardian since 2018. Pictured, Jean-Paul (left) and Stéphane, with Jean-Paul’s niece Patricia, in 2002
Family estate: Stéphane opposes Mr Guerlain’s relationship with Danish-born Christina Kragh, 63, an elegant blonde equestrian who has lived with Guerlain senior on his sprawling 133-acre estate south of Paris since 2005. The Valley Estate, as it is also known, can be seen in this picture.
In turn, Ms Kragh has taken legal action against Stéphane, accusing him of a string of charges including moral harassment, willful violence and subjecting a vulnerable person to ‘housing conditions incompatible with human dignity’, Christopher Mason reported for AirMail.
The charges were filed on behalf of Ms Kragh by her lawyer, Frédéric Bélot.
Stéphane was summoned to appear before the correctional court of Versailles yesterday. It is unknown what the outcome of this hearing will be.
Speaking to AirMail, Stéphane’s lawyer, Pascal Koerfer, categorically rejected all allegations made by Ms Kragh and said his client’s father ‘was placed under Stéphane’s guardianship in consideration to the risks of manipulation and abuse to which he could have been subjected by Kragh’s entourage’.
‘”Kristina [sic] Kragh managed to impose herself in Mr. Jean-Paul Guerlain’s house,” Koerfer said, “and for the past nine years, has [engaged in]Multiple procedures led to twelve decisions of justice that dismissed all her claims.
“Mrs. Kragh believes she can justify the inexcusable by multiplying shocking and outrageous penal procedures; with systematic recourses to media.”
The Guerlain fragrance house was founded in 1828 by Jean-Paul Guerlain’s great-great grandfather, Pierre-François. Jean-Paul, 22 years old, took the reins from his grandfather Pierre-Francois.
Golden nose: Guerlain fragrance house was founded in 1828 by Jean-Paul’s great-great grandfather, Pierre-François. Jean-Paul, (pictured), took the reins from Pierre Francois when he was 22.
Common interests: The perfumer, who is thought to have been married twice before, including to Stéphane’s mother, met Ms Kragh in the early 2000s and they bonded over their shared love of horses. Jean-Paul Kragh with Ms Kragh during a Christian Dior show in 2004
He was sentenced to life in 2012, and was immediately disgraced. making racist insults on national television and fined 6,000 euros (£5,000).
Guerlain said the following in an interview with France-2 TV, 2010 about creating one of his most famous perfumes.
He stated, “I worked like an a…” [N-word]. It’s not clear to me if. [N-words]It has always been like this, but it is still true.
LVMH cut immediate all ties to Jean-Paul who had been a consultant ‘nose at’ the brand up until then.
The perfumer, who is thought to have been married twice before, including to Stéphane’s mother, met Ms Kragh in the early 2000s and they bonded over their shared love of horses.
The Valley Estate, his 133-acre property, is home to stables and an orangery. Apartments were previously rented out to tenants.
They often saw each other in Parisian society events during their early years. Ms Kragh was almost twenty years older than him and cut a glamorous figure at the arm of the businessman.
She moved in to a house at The Valley where she resides today.
Stéphane has been against his father’s romantic relationship for years.
In a previous court appearance, Stéphane’s lawyer explained his client’s suspicions over Ms Kragh’s real intentions were first piqued in 2012 when Ms Kragh had approached an art dealer and offered to sell him a Delacroix painting owned by Mr Guerlain.
The dealer recognized the painting and informed his son.
The following year, Stéphane became his father’s legal guardian. In 2018, Stephane was granted full financial control over his father.
Ms Kragh’s lawyer dismisses Stéphane’s version of events, claiming Jean-Paul had asked her to take it to have it valued for insurance purposes and she had never tried to sell it.
In 2020, Stéphane successfully opposed the couple’s move to marry, claiming his father was unable to make such a decision due to his senile dementia.
Jean-Paul repeated to the court that he wanted to marry, even when questioned about his age.
Stéphane produced a letter signed by his father saying he did not want to wed, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Ms Kragh retorted at claims that her husband isn’t in a position for major life decisions. She told AirMail, “Jean-Paul’s not gaga.”
Last year, the family was back in court when Stéphane filed charges against Ms Kragh, claiming she had allowed his father to fall into a pitiful state, ‘incapable of expressing himself or answering the slightest question’.
Philippe Toccanier, prosecutor of the case, stated to the court that Ms Kragh had deprived the perfume heir ‘care and food’ even though she lived next to the domain.
“As Ms [Kragh]Even though she failed to marry her husband, she managed to get very loyal people off his side, the prosecution told the court. It’s borderline abuse.
Mr Bélot, representing Ms Kragh, argued his client was at Mr Guerlain’s ‘beck and call’ and ‘never leaves his side’, even choosing to stay with her partner rather than travel to see her own mother in the 10 years before her death.
Under fire: Ms Kragh has taken legal action against Stéphane, accusing him of a string of charges including moral harassment, willful violence and subjecting a vulnerable person to ‘housing conditions incompatible with human dignity’. Pictured, Stéphane with his cousin
He argued: ‘The real abandonment comes from the guardian (Stéphane Guerlain), who allowed his father to live in totally unacceptable conditions.
He did not do anything to maintain the cleanliness of the house. He cut off heating and hot water everywhere except in his bedroom… There is even a tree growing in one of the outhouses.
“Mr Guerlain” is a French monument. The French would find it scandalous if they knew how he ended his life.
All charges against Ms Kragh dropped.
The accusations against Stéphane are reportedly reiterated in the most recent legal filings.
Accusations: Ms Kragh claims Stéphane has dismissed Mr Guerlain’s staff, refuses to pay for maintenance on The Valley and only gives the couple a weekly allowance of some 120 euros. Jean-Paul Guerlain is pictured with Ms Kragh during the Christian Dior 2004 show.
Ms Kragh claims Stéphane has dismissed Mr Guerlain’s staff, refuses to pay for maintenance on The Valley and only gives the couple a weekly allowance of some 120 euros.
In addition, the legal filing claims Stéphane cut off the heat and hot water at the historic property for a three-week period, blocked the internet access and international calls and confiscated his father’s passport.
There is also harassment and physical violence, as well as a threat of death.
Ms Kragh reportedly hopes the criminal complaints filed by her lawyer will be enough to lead to lessening Stéphane’s control over their lives.