Alice Regnault

Who is Alice Regnault?

Alice Regnault was a French actress.

Her theatrical career began in 1871, but she was praised mainly for her beauty. She became very rich, as a courtesan in Paris, and retired in 1881. She briefly worked as a journalist, under the pseudonym of Mitaine de Soie, and published two novels without any interest : Mademoiselle Pomme and La Famille Carmettes.

She is best known for marrying in secret the French writer Octave Mirbeau, in May 1887, in London. After his death, she betrayed his memory by publishing a fake: a false « Testament politique d’Octave Mirbeau», written by former anti-militarist and pacifist Gustave Hervé. Sacha Guitry will remember this betrayal in his 1923 comedy, Un sujet de roman, inspired by Alice and his old friend Octave Mirbeau, whom he admired very much.