Emily in Paris star Pierre Deny dies aged 69 after ALS battle

Emily in Paris actor Pierre Deny has sadly passed away following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Deny was known for portraying Louis de Léon, CEO of fashion giant JVMA, in seasons three and four of Netflix's popular romcom drama.

His character was the father of Nicholas de Leon (Paul Forman), who dated the titular character Emily's (Lily Collins) best friend, Mindy Chen (Ashley Park).

Deny's passing was confirmed by his daughters in a statement: "It is with deep emotion that we announce the passing of Pierre Deny, which occurred this Monday following a sudden and severe case of ALS."

Mayo Clinic explain that ALS is a nervous system disease which affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

This can lead to loss of muscle control and paralysis, as the condition can progressively get worse.

Sadly, there is no current cure for ALS and the disease is fatal, though it can develop at different speeds, as actor Eric Dane spread awareness for the disease before he died due to its complications.

Tributes from loved ones

Sylvie Vartan, a Bulgarian-French singer, took to Instagram and wrote: "It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Pierre Deny.

"I shared many wonderful moments with him on stage in Isabelle Mergault’s play.

"He was a generous actor and a sensitive and funny man. In these painful moments, my thoughts are with his family and loved ones."

Luce Mouchel, a French actress and co-star of Deny's from French television soap opera Tomorrow Belongs To Us, also wrote a touching tribute.

The Instagram message read: "Pierre, 7 years of filming together, taking the train together, having lunch at the canteen together, sometimes confiding, inviting each other from time to time and congratulating you for your hidden cooking talent, meeting our girls, clapping at the theater, calling each other 'Doctor' usually, and I forget.

"A short decade of shared life that should not have ended so quickly and so brutally. I'm thinking of your daughters and their exceptional courage. Thinking of you, my last visit and your sparkling eyes, rest in peace, Dr. Dumaze," she emotionally concluded.

Deny was best known for his TV roles on French TV, primarily the aforementioned soap opera, known in his homeland as Demain nous, where he played Dr Renaud Dumaze.

He played the character from 2017 until 2025, featuring in over 500 episodes on the show.

Featured image credit: Netflix