Patrice Leconte to announce shock retirement?

Leconte created a stir on Sunday when rumors have surfaced that his career was over.

Patrice Leconte »

See more news, pictures and video.

Hot news

• Love January 12, 2026

  Patrice Leconte: Secretly Married?
• Breaking Up January 4, 2026

  Patrice Leconte Single Again?
• Rumor Central January 2026

  Is Patrice Leconte secretly gay and hiding in the closet?

Sad news for Leconte fans. Speculation had been rife that the French director best known for Ridicule, Les Spécialistes or French Fried Vacation, is about to announce his retirement from all public activities, at age 78, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 12/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being a director isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being a director-screenwriter-producer just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouPatrice

For a little while on Sunday evening, #ThankYouPatrice was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“Patrice Leconte was unlike any other director we’ve ever seen! #ThankYouPatrice”
— @universalObserver, 11 Jan 2026

“Didn't Patrice Leconte retire about 3 years ago?”
— @samy2love, 11 Jan 2026

© 2026 MediaMass All rights reserved. Do not reproduce (even with permission).

Celebrity Central