Inside late actress Claudia Cardinale's complex family life, including two kids

In 1958, when Cardinale moved to Italy, she met film producer Franco Cristaldi, who was 12 years her senior. They developed a partnership over the course of her early career, during which he produced several of her films. Franco also advised Cardinale to hide her first pregnancy as a teen, eventually sending her to London to give birth when she rejected the idea of an abortion.

Their relationship soon turned romantic, and they were reportedly married in 1966. However, things soured a few years later, with their partnership ending in 1975. Speaking with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, though, Cardinale explained that their relationship was much more complicated behind the scenes.

"With him, I was practically an employee, a subordinate who was paid monthly for the four films I made a year," she told the publication, even saying that he'd actually organized their wedding party in secret, but she didn't go through with it. "In short, Cristaldi was certainly a great producer, but on a private level… it's better to leave that aside."

In October 1958, Cardinale welcomed her son Patrick, who was born out of an abusive incident. "A man I didn't know, much older than me, forced me into a car and raped me," she recalled to Corriere della Sera. "It was terrible, but the most beautiful thing is that from that rape, my wonderful Patrick was born." 

She decided to raise Patrick as a single mother. However, due to her burgeoning career and on advice from Franco Cristaldi and her family, he was raised primarily by her parents and the public knew him as her younger brother. When he was eight years old, Cardinale went public with the story of her rape, and Patrick was finally told of his true parentage. 

He was formally adopted by Franco, gaining the name "Cristaldi" as well. He became an actor like his mother, although his only known credit is the 1988 film Gli invisibili. The now 66-year-old has lived privately ever since with his mother and sister at their French home.

In 1975, Cardinale began living with Italian film director Pasquale Squitieri, and they remained together until his death in 2017, even welcoming a daughter together. "Pasquale is the person I've shared everything with: I was the one who chose him; to win him over, I went to New York," she told Corriere della Sera. 

"It was Pasquale who wanted to give our daughter my same name because, since I didn't want to get married, there would have been a Claudia Squitieri anyway." On the idea of never marrying him, though, she said: "The memory of the violence I suffered weighed on me. Plus, I've never liked mixing public and private life, that's just how I am... I'm a tomboy. As a girl I didn't want to be an actress, but an explorer."

Claudia Squitieri, now 46, also remained extremely close with her mother until her passing. They all lived together as a family in Nemours, on the outskirts of Paris. While Claudia briefly caught the acting bug as well, she has particularly thrived as an author and activist, who worked extensively with her mother when it came to campaigning for women's rights and her work with UNESCO. She also remains active on social media.

She also edited a book about her mother's career titled Claudia Cardinale l'indomabile, with Cardinale telling the Italian newspaper of her daughter's involvement in her life: "I have a very good relationship [with her]. For a few years, in addition to her personal activities, she has been following my business. Together, we have decided to create a foundation that can act as a generational link."