Dominique Tapie riddled with debts after the death of her husband Bernard: "I did not have enough to buy a tombstone"

Solène Delinger 15:31 p.m., March 20, 2023, modified at 15:33 p.m., March 20, 2023

Dominique Tapie, usually very discreet, decided to leave his reserve on the occasion of the release, Wednesday, March 22, 2023, of his book entitled Bernard, la fureur de vivre. The widow of Bernard Tapie evokes the very turbulent life of the businessman who died in October 2021, his many mistresses and his legal affairs.

"They cut all my credit cards"

Interviewed by our colleagues from Paris Match to talk about her book, Dominique Tapie confided without filter on the mountain of debts left to her by her husband. "I found myself, overnight, with nothing, in personal liquidation," explains the one who is not protected by any marriage contract and therefore depends on the regime of the community. "I didn't have the money to buy the tombstone. All my credit cards were cut. They even cut off my phone!"

Dominique Tapie forced to move from his mansion rue des Saints-Pères

Dominique Tapie pays the price for the Crédit Lyonnais affair. Bernard Tapie had been suspected of having "manipulated" an arbitration that was to settle his dispute with the French bank over the sale of Adidas in February 1993. "A month before he leaves, I see him doing his accounts. He had calculated that by selling his assets, he could fully repay what had been allocated to him during the arbitration, which was also the case, "says Dominique Tapie in the columns of Paris Match. Bernard Tapie's widow was forced to move from the mansion on Rue des Saints-Pères, Paris, to pay off part of her debts. She and Bernard Tapie had owned this hotel for 35 years.

Bernard Tapie's widow can count on the help of Jean-Louis Borloo

"When you have every day in your mailbox bills of unpaid and dozens of registered letters, it is not easy ...", says Dominique Tapie who says he survives thanks to half of her husband's pension as a deputy, about 600 euros, but especially thanks to the generosity of his relatives. Her friend, former minister Jean-Louis Borloo, helped her relocate. "I don't know what I would do without them," she admits. "In my misfortune, I am very lucky."

"He was very patriotic, French to the end of his nails"

Dominique Tapie assures her: she does not blame her husband. "The problem was that he had too much confidence in himself and in justice," she said. Bernard Tapie had tried to reassure her before he died: "I kept asking Bernard what would happen when he was no longer here. He told me not to worry, that the only thing the judges wanted was his skin, that once they had it, they would let go of me."

Bernard Tapie's widow finally clarified the charges of tax evasion against her husband: "There never was! Absolutely everything Bernard owned was in France," she said. "I suggested to him, at one point, that we move elsewhere. That was out of the question. He was very patriotic, French to the hilt."