Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Marianne Faithfull on the death of L’Wren Scott: 'It could have been me'

The singer and actress says “being with Mick was very difficult”

Ella Alexander
Sunday 10 August 2014 11:51 EDT
Comments
Marianne Faithfull on Who Do You Think You Are?
Marianne Faithfull on Who Do You Think You Are? (Wall to Wall Media)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Marianne Faithfull feels “tremendous compassion” for L’Wren Scott, who took her own life on 17 March earlier this year.

“I look at poor L’Wren and I feel tremendous compassion because she obviously just couldn’t cut it,” said Faithfull, who also famously dated Mick Jagger. “Being with Mick was very difficult — and it could have been me. I did take a huge overdose in Sydney.”

The designer and long-term partner of Jagger was founded hanged by her assistant in her Manhattan apartment, aged 49.

Faithfull overdosed on barbiturates while travelling to Australia with Jagger and fell into a coma upon their arrival at the hotel.

“I was unconscious for six days and nearly died, so that could have easily been me,” she said. “Mind you, I was 22.”

“You have to be very strong, and poor L’Wren,” Faithfull continued. “I think she also came from that very weird background, that Mormon thing.”

She described the “enormous pressures” of being Jagger’s girlfriend, which “obviously for a lot of people it’s worth it”.

“Anyway, it must be different for everybody,” she told the Sunday Times. “Most of those girls who are with him, since me actually, really like the fame and the money, all that shit. I never cared.”

She also discussed the importance of free will and autonomy, talking in relation to her ex-boyfriend and current manager Francois Ravard.

“I believe people are free to do what they want. Not free to f*** children, no,” she said. “But anything else apart from that and murder they should be allowed to do. But that’s one of my faults. It’s a big fault.”

Faithfull recently claimed another of her former boyfriends, drug dealer Jean de Breteuil, killed Jim Morrison of The Doors. The musician was 27 when he was found dead in his French apartment on 3 July 1971.

“I could intuitively feel trouble,” said Faithfull. “I thought, ‘I'll take a few Tuinal [barbiturates] and I won't be there.’ And he went to see Jim Morrison and killed him. I mean I'm sure it was an accident.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in