Alain-Philippe Malagnac d'Argens de Villèle

Alain-Philippe Malagnac d'Argens de Villèle (1951–2000) was the lover of French writer Roger Peyrefitte, their relationship being a subject of several of the latter's works. Malagnac was also an art collector and the husband of singer Amanda Lear.

Scion of a french aristocratic family, 12-year-old Alain-Philippe had a minor role in the film "Les Amitiés particulières" (English title: "This Special Friendship"), released in 1964, based on the award-winning autobiographical novel by Roger Peyrefitte centring on an intense friendship between an older and younger boy in at a strict Catholic boarding school. On the set of the film, De Villèle met Peyrefitte, and the two later began a relationship which lasted for two decades, the men remained close friends thereafter. Their relationship formed the background to Peyrefitte's novel, "Notre Amour" (Éd. Flammarion, 1967) and to "L'Enfant de cœur," (an allusion to De Villèle's role as a choirboy ("Enfant de Choeur") in the film).

At the age of sixteen De Villèle became Peyrefitte's personal secretary. They lived and travelled together, and as a young man De Villèle was eventually adopted by Peyrefitte.cite web |url=http://www.glbtq.com/literature/peyrefitte_r.html |last=Sibalis |first=Michael D |title=Peyrefitte, Roger |year=2006 |accessdate=2007-07-18 |work=glbtq.com]

As an adult De Villèle's career (often financed by Peyrefitte) included proprietor of "Le Bronx", one of the first openly gay night clubs in Paris, and briefly managing French singer Sylvie Vartan, a disastrous undertaking which almost bankrupted Peyrefitte, who was forced to sell artworks and erotic antiquities to pay the resulting debts.

In 1978 De Villèle met Amanda Lear in Paris, and in April 1979, while on a trip to the United States, they married. Their marriage lasted twenty one years until his death.On Saturday, December 16th, 2000, De Villèle was killed by smoke in a fire at his recently-bought farm house in Saint-Étienne-du-Grès.cite web |url=http://www.actustar.com/actualite/200012/20001219f.html |language=French |title=Le mari d'Amanda Lear mort dans l'incendie de leur maison |date=2000-12-19 |accessdate=2007-07-18 |work=ActuStar.com] He died just six weeks after his former lover Peyrefitte.

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