A star actress who has been in the limelight for over four decades, Eva Ionesco is no stranger to showbiz and controversies. Over the years, Ionesco has accumulated no less than 55 screen credits and 9 theatrical works under her belt. The thespian has not only worked on stage and onscreen but has also stepped behind the camera to produce hit movies.

Besides her professional accomplishments, not many are aware that the former child model who presumably once had it all, actually had a deeply traumatized childhood. Join us in unearthing interesting facts you never knew about the veteran French actress and film director.

Eva Ionesco Bio

Eva Ionesco from Paris was born on July 18, 1965. Though she was exposed to the limelight as a mere toddler, the French actress did not exactly have the best of childhood. She is the daughter of Miklos Berlnyi and Irina Ionesco, the autodidact French-Romanian photographer who was famed for her notoriety in the 1970s.

Eva was raised in her hometown and first gained fame as a child model. As early as age four, Eva’s mom made her young daughter a star model in some controversial and explicit photoshoots. Eva Ionesco did not just model in raunchy photos for her mother alone but also for other famous photographers, thus many frowned at the young model’s continuous exposure to infantile sexuality, stirring a major controversy in the early 1970s.

Eva and her siblings were consequently taken away from their mom in 1977. They were eventually raised by foster parents Irene and Roger Louboutin, who are the biological parents of the famous French designer, Christian Louboutin. Interestingly, Irina unsuccessfully made several attempts to get her children back.

Professional Accomplishments

Eva Ionesco’s modeling career dates back to her toddler days. As a child model who worked mostly with her famous mother, Eva was not only considered a popular figure but also a pacesetter. In 1976, she made history as the youngest model ever to feature on the PG-rated Playboy magazine, including the Italian edition. She went on to feature in other adult magazines including a 1978 Spanish issue of Penthouse, as well as the German magazine Der Spiegel.

Given the exposure and fame Eva Ionesco gained as a child model, she switched to acting after a few years. She debuted as an actress at age eleven, portraying the character Bettina in the 1976 movie The Tenant. The next year, Eva followed up with a major role as Silvia in the controversial movie Maladolescenza. The French actress is famous for her roles in films such as 1981’s Meurtres à domicile, 1984’s Les Nanas, 1987’s L’amoureuse, 1991’s Chant de guerre parisien, Comment font les gens? (1992), 1995’s Pullman paradis, Liberté chérie (1996), 1999’s La patinoire, and many more.

In the mid-2000s, Eva Ionesco decided to step behind the camera. She made her directional debut in the 2006 movie La LoIde la Forêt. Ionesco also co-wrote and directed My Little Princess, the critically acclaimed 2010 film which was inspired by her real-life experience with her photographer mother. More recently, Eva directed the 2019 film Une jeunesee dorée (A Golden Youth), which is a follow up to My Little Princess and also starred actress Isabelle Huppert.

Her Family – Husband and Kids

Eva Ionesco is happily married to her heartthrob Simon Liberati. There is a dearth of information regarding the couple’s romance from the outset but it is no secret that they first crossed paths in Parisian nightclubs way back in 1979 when Ionesco was just a young 13-year-old who was already famed with a terrible reputation. Fate brought them together many years later in 2013 and after dating for a while, the lovebirds exchanged marital vows on December 8, 2013, in Paris.

The couple’s union has not produced any kid yet and it is uncertain if plans are underway for any in the near future. However, Eva Ionesco is already a mother to Lucas Ionesco, a son she had from one of her previous relationships. Born in January 1995 and single-handedly raised by his mom, Lucas has grown into a fine young man and has also taken after Eva career-wise as an actor.

Eva Ionesco’s husband Simon Liberati is a French journalist and an award-winning author with no less than seven published books under his belt. In fact, one of his renowned literary works includes the 2015 book Eva which is about his wife’s life. The book chronicled Ionesco’s troubled childhood and also their romance. Liberati’s book Jayne Mansfield 1967 won him the 2011 Femina prize.

Facts About The French Actress

1. Besides Eva Ionesco’s movie My Little Princess, as well as her husband’s book Eva, it is uncommon knowledge that the French actress’ story inspired the controversial 1978 film, Pretty Baby.

2. In 2012, Eva Ionesco sued her mother Irina for not only taking provocative erotic pictures of her as a child but also for a ‘stolen childhood’. The French-Romanian photographer was later ordered to pay €70,000 in damages and compensation for breaching her daughter’s privacy. She was also ordered to hand over some negatives of pictures of Eva and was banned from selling, transmitting or exhibiting images of her daughter without her consent. Interestingly, Irina Ionesco also sued her son-in-law Liberati, for the invasion of privacy, and lost following his novel Eva, which was inspired by his wife and dedicated to her.

3. Eva Ionesco stands tall at 6 feet 1 inch (1.88m) and weighs about 51 kg. Her other body measurements have not been disclosed.