On April 8, 2025, Lio appeared on the French talk show "C à Vous" to discuss the Netflix documentary "De rockstar à tueur : le cas Cantat," which examines the tragic murder of actress Marie Trintignant by her then-partner, musician Bertrand Cantat. During her appearance, Lio described the horrific events surrounding Trintignant's death as an "execution," shedding light on new details from the autopsy report.
Trintignant was brutally assaulted in the night of July 26 to 27, 2003, suffering 19 blows, including seven to her face, at the hands of Cantat. She succumbed to her injuries a few days later, on August 1, 2003, while in Vilnius, Lithuania, where she was filming the TV movie "Colette, une femme libre," directed by her mother, Nadine Trintignant.
In the lead-up to her death, Marie had sent a haunting text message to her mother on July 14, quoting Baudelaire: "Sois sage ô ma douleur, et tiens-toi plus tranquille. Fifille battue." This message has continued to haunt Nadine, who reflects on her daughter's plight with deep sorrow.
The Netflix documentary, which has garnered over two million views since its release, has sparked widespread reactions. Many viewers praise Lio for her courage in confronting the narrative surrounding Cantat and Trintignant's relationship. During the show, host Anne-Elisabeth Lemoine remarked on how the public often perceives the incident as a crime of passion, framing Cantat as a victim of destructive love. Lio firmly countered this perspective, stating, "It's the discourse we hear everywhere; it’s also a desire to tarnish Marie's image. I say to degrade her, it’s terrible when you want to degrade someone, especially someone who has just been massacred."
Lio's insistence that Trintignant was "massacrée" (massacred) is rooted in the details of the autopsy report, which she has seen. She emphasized the severity of the violence, stating, "The autopsy report showed the word 'massacre.' It’s incredible that people aren't talking about this more. The medical examiner said things like, 'he held her with his knee on her throat. There are bruises on her throat.'" Lio reiterated, "It’s an execution. It’s an execution."
In her testimony, Lio also reflected on her personal struggles, revealing the recent loss of her son, Diego, who was found dead near Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle airport in early March 2025. Authorities determined Diego died by self-immolation. His father, Jean-Pierre Bellay, clarified in a letter to Paris Match that Diego had fallen ill due to drug use earlier that year and had been repatriated to Brussels.
Diego was buried discreetly on March 17 at the Père Lachaise crematorium. Lio is also a mother to five other children: Nubia, Igor, Esmeralda, and twins Garance and Léa. During her appearance on "C à Vous," she spoke about her son but primarily aimed to address the documentary and the violence that claimed her friend’s life.
Lio expressed regret for not providing adequate support to Krisztina Rády, who was married to Cantat at the time of the murder and with whom he had two children, Milo and Alice. Rády tragically took her own life in 2010. Lio recalled a moment when Rády had approached her in a restaurant, expressing her struggles with Cantat's violence. "I felt miserable that day. I didn’t manage it well. They are two women in this story that I didn’t support as I should have," Lio lamented.
She described Rády as having been manipulated within the context of Cantat's fame, stating, "There was a takeover of Krisztina by the group Noir Désir and by Universal. They needed to continue a band that sold more than Johnny Hallyday. She was made to believe she was protecting her children, but over time, she realized it was the opposite, and she ended up committing suicide. It was almost a chronicle of a suicide foretold, in my opinion."
In the documentary, it is revealed that Rády had expressed fears for her life in a message to her parents, stating, "Bertrand is crazy. If the events that happened in 2003 didn't happen to me, they are happening to me now... I can’t emerge from this situation safe and sound." Her mother recalled a chilling incident where Cantat threatened to commit suicide if she left him, further illustrating the toxic environment in which Rády found herself.
As Lio spoke about the initial attraction between Trintignant and Cantat, she likened it to a captivating love story, saying, "When she saw Noir Désir on stage, she was completely fascinated by Cantat. Marie and Bertrand together was a beautiful story; they were both very attractive people with an aura that surpasses us." However, this initial enchantment ultimately led to tragedy, as the relationship ended in violence.
Lio's appearance on "C à Vous" not only highlighted the ongoing impact of Trintignant's murder on her life but also served as a poignant reminder of the complexities surrounding domestic violence and the societal narratives that often obscure the truth. As the documentary continues to resonate with audiences, it raises critical questions about accountability and the legacy of violence against women.
