Diane Kruger: In NYC, ‘there’s a lot of crime, a lot of dirt everywhere’

Diane Kruger covers the January issue of Tatler. She’s promoting a new movie, Marlowe, based on Raymond Chandler’s The Black-Eyed Blonde. She’s also promoting a children’s book she wrote during the pandemic called A Name From the Sky, a celebration of names. As such, she’s revealed her four-year-old daughter’s name after keeping it quiet all this time. Her daughter is named Nova Tennessee Reedus. Diane and Norman Reedus are still together, and they’re raising Nova all over the world. Diane talks a lot about her daughter in this Tatler piece too, among other subjects. Some highlights:

On the nomadic actor life: ‘We teach [our daughter] that she is at home in the world, that we have friends all over the world [and] that we really don’t have to miss people because we’re just going to go for a little bit and then come back. We’re very lucky to have homes in different places.’ (The Kruger-Reedus property portfolio also includes a home in Paris, as well as a ‘little country house’ in upstate New York.)

Playing Helen of Troy: ‘I mean, Helen of Troy obviously was based on the way I looked, But I don’t think they could have given it to any model, right? They wouldn’t have given it to me if I didn’t have at least a little bit of talent.’ When the film – though not her performance – was ravaged by critics, Kruger retreated to the world of European cinema. ‘I was able to continue making French movies and slowly the perception changed… people started seeing me in other things.’

Nova understands German: ‘I speak to her in German all the time. And she understands it all. She’s a very outgoing young girl.’ In Latin, Nova means new, which felt ‘very personal’ to Kruger and Reedus, who met when they were 39 and 46 respectively. Nova’s middle name is Tenessee, in tribute to Kruger’s discovery that she was pregnant while on a motorbike trip with Reedus in the state.

On her daughter’s privacy:‘You know, what you’re comfortable with changes with time. When she was first born, you really try to shield her from all public gaze. I felt very strongly about that, which I didn’t know I would. But as she grew older, it didn’t… We have never shown her face… all of our friends obviously know what her name is and it just tied in with the book. It seems natural to tell her and the world how special she is to us and how much we put into the meaning of her name.’

Her previous relationships: ‘I didn’t want children for a long time. I really liked my life the way it was. In my late thirties, I was starting to think about it but I wasn’t in a place in my relationship at the time – or whatever – where that was going to be a possibility and so I had kind of given up hope and I thought it was just too late. And I was OK with that. While writing this book, it definitely felt like sometimes life gives you things when you least expect them but most need them. The arrival of Nova has changed my life – our lives – in the best possible way. It’s just amazing that you thought you were one thing but you’re meant to do something completely different.’

Life with Norman Reedus: At home, work talk with Reedus is kept to a minimum. ‘This is maybe the first time in my adult life that I’m in a relationship where I respect him to do his thing. I want him to feel he can do anything he’s interested in and I would support that. And I expect that the other way around [from him].’

Paris vs. NYC: ‘Paris is a smaller city… I started out in France, so a lot of people know me there for French movies,’ Kruger seems more at ease in Europe than America. Currently, in New York, ‘There’s a lot of crime, a lot of dirt everywhere. The news is Trump, Trump, climate change. It’s oppressive sometimes. Moving to Europe – it’s not like they don’t have their problems – but it just felt like we were getting out of our bubble. It’s a change of scenery that has been really good for us.’

France has less ageism: ‘When you see people out in restaurants, it seems that there are so many attractive women of all ages. I’m sure there is sexism and the same issues that Americans face, but I know a lot of women [in France] who are happy with their second, third marriage. They have boyfriends way into their fifties.’

[From Tatler]

“In my late thirties, I was starting to think about it but I wasn’t in a place in my relationship at the time – or whatever – where that was going to be a possibility and so I had kind of given up hope and I thought it was just too late. And I was OK with that.” I’m not mad at her about the Joshua Jackson stuff at this point, it’s water under the bridge and they both moved on with people who suit them a lot better. But also: it feels like Diane wasn’t “ready” to have a kid with Joshua, her partner of a decade, and then she cheated on Joshua with Reedus and suddenly she’s ready to have a baby with Reedus? I mean, sometimes it happens that way and when you know you know. But it also feels like she’s always blaming Joshua for her own bullsh-t.

Cover courtesy of Tatler, additional pics courtesy of Instar and Avalon Red.

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85 Responses to “Diane Kruger: In NYC, ‘there’s a lot of crime, a lot of dirt everywhere’”

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  1. KP says:

    The more interviews I see with her the more up her own ass she seems. Her weird obsession with constantly digging at her ex shows that she is not over it and he was the one who ultimately ended it and she is pissed. Like how dare you leave despite my cheating publicly multiple times. Honestly I doubt anyone would remember the cheating if she did not always dig at JJ. It is off putting. Relationships are complicated. Stuff happens. Stop digging as they say.

    It may be I also am over her with the the whole Blues Lives Matter oh wait now I get it nonsense both she and Reedus pulled. And how does Reedus constantly skate on all his friendships with shady abusers including Marilyn Manson and terry richardson.

    • OriginalLeigh says:

      I had not heard about the blue lives comments but I definitely got a vibe from her from reading this article. There’s climate change everywhere so I guess she’s saying that she just doesn’t want to hear about it… Also, the crime surge in NY has been grossly exaggerated by right wingers. It’s been proven that there’s just as much, if not more, crime in red states…

      • Haylie says:

        I’m getting those same vibes from her. She’s dropping right wing dog whistles.

      • Sue E Generis says:

        This. She definitely gives off a vibe. She’s privileged and is fed up hearing about the world’s problems. She seems very self-centered.

      • BeanieBean says:

        I’m a little tired of people dumping on NYC as crime-ridden & dirty–it’s a city like other cities, large & small. As someone who travels a fair amount & walks daily for exercise–and therefore really sees a city’s streets–I feel safe in saying NYC is no better or worse in terms of cleanliness & I’ve always felt safe walking wherever I needed to go or just walking to walk.

      • Jo says:

        I live in NYC and I’m sorry to read the comment about crime and dirtiness. It’s not that those things don’t exist here — it’s just that when outsiders select only those details to highlight, it feels reductive and/or dog whistle-y. And the climate change thing…I mean, it’s not as if giant dividers reach up to space separating NYC from Paris.

      • Matilda says:

        I live in NYC and I’m tired of people asking me if I feel safe because of the hike in crime. I just roll my eyes.

      • Elizabeth says:

        I live in New York, and her comment about the crime and dirt bugs me, especially since nobody curbs their dog in Paris, and crime is just as rampant there. I would have more respect for her if she just flat-out said that she prefers to live in Europe.

      • Lia says:

        I can understand you well, but I think you have to see it from a different perspective. I’m from Europe and I really think it’s true that there’s different coverage. We (in Germany) don’t have that much drama with the government and the reports are much more sober. I also believe that our society is not (yet) that divided.
        Don’t take this as criticism though, remember that America has at least three times the population! We have big cities here (Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne,…) and the bigger, the more crime, of course. But nowhere else do so many live there as, for example, in New York. Of course there is more crime.

      • Debbie says:

        I’m also irked, on behalf of New Yorkers, at her comments on crime and dirt in NY. And this is coming from someone in Boston, so…

      • Kebbie says:

        Seriously, is she a right-winger? Because she sounds like a right winger that doesn’t want to hear about climate change, trump criticism, and over exaggerates the “dirtiness” and crime of a liberal and diverse city.

        But maybe that’s just my perspective as an American. Maybe she doesn’t realize she’s quoting right wing lunatic talking points verbatim.

    • Risia Furio says:

      Wonder why she never mentions her first marriage? Considering Canet went on to be with Marion Cotillard who is way more successful than she could even imagine.

      • Old-and-tired says:

        I wish she could visit NYC in the 80’s! It’s so much cleaner and safer.

      • Normades says:

        @risia
        It is strange that she never mentions her first marriage to Guillaume Canet. But like you said maybe she doesn’t want Marion’s name popping up in her article. Also that was a total nepo marriage for her as Canet is a darling of French cinema.

    • AlpineWitch says:

      I never liked her since Troy, too arrogant and she’s not that good of an actress either…

  2. Michael says:

    I have always had a dislike for her for some reason and it is not getting any better when I read her interviews. I remember her insisting that Norman Reedus was just a pal when she was openly cheating with him. I guess she assumes everybody is an idiot

  3. Crowned Huntress says:

    I always feel like she has some residual animosity towards Joshua and I don’t understand why.

    If I recall correctly she’d even mocked him and Sophie in an IG post a few years back. As if they didn’t have a right to openly celebrate and be happy publicly.

    You’d think he cheated on her or something. 🙃

    • KP says:

      Honestly it seems like she is mad he left and went on to have a life with someone else. I always liked that he never felt the need to talk about her or their relationship after it ended. No woe is me. Simply moved on to long boozy lunches with co-stars and ultimately his new family.

      Most of us have that ex who is mad that you thrived without them. I had watched some of her movies over the year and while she never wowed me I thought she was fine enough. Now when I see her all I think is what a weird narcissist she seems to be.

    • Ciotog says:

      Are Jodie and Joshua still together? After September, Jodie’s been posing on red carpets by herself.

  4. Jais says:

    Lived in bklyn for 15 years(love it) and visited Paris once over 20 years ago. Is Paris really that much cleaner than NYC? I have no idea.

    • Maltilda says:

      Born and raised in NYC (Manhattan) and I feel way safer in NYC than Paris where I am always harassed by gangs on the Metro.

    • AlpineWitch says:

      I lived in Paris in the late 1990s and there were dog excrements all over the pavements and really unhygienic conditions all around. Plus I used to live in the centre and all of us students knew very well which quarters/areas (or underground lines) to avoid due to the abundance of crimes….

      There were a few bomb scares as well, as this was after the terrorist bomb attacks.

      I think Diane lives in a bubble…. 🤔

      • Normades says:

        Can confirm Paris is a really dirty city. Diane must have only hung out in certain areas and never took the metro.

    • Kate’s Jeggings says:

      Lol, no, not at all!

    • Tanya says:

      Nope. And I’ve faced more overt racism and harassment in Paris, Copenhagen, etc. than I ever have in NYC.

  5. Haylie says:

    She sounds insufferable.

    Does she think women cease to exist after 40 in the United States?

    • JanetDR says:

      And some of us are brave enough to be seen in public! 🤣

    • Andrea says:

      Her women comments are a dogwhistle regarding overweight women in America is how I read it. She is disgusting.

      • Vexxy says:

        How did you even get that…? Overweight people exist throughout the whole age spectrum, how on earth is that related to her thinking that older women are more attractive in Europe? It was literally just ageist BS. It doesn’t need to be fatphobic to be awful.

    • Huckle says:

      Yes, actually, to some they do. Ageism is real.

      • Sandii says:

        Dogwhisteling for regarding overweight women? This is one of the most ridiculous things I have read in quite a while.

        French women really have a different approach to aging. You see a lot less plastic surgery and if you see it is usually not so overdone like in the US, especially LA (face).

    • AlpineWitch says:

      Haylie, if anything it’s the opposite, excluding Scandinavian countries and Germany, ageism is a lot worse in France, Italy, Spain…

      Italy even has a limit of 35 years (only for women) in job adverts (illegal but employers don’t care!).

      She lives in a high end bubble…

      • Lilacmaven says:

        Exactly this. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel frequently and work abroad for long periods during my life.

        Scandinavian countries are light years ahead of France and Italy regarding ageism.

        Also, speaking of crime, never have I experienced such frequent and aggressive sexual harassment as I did in Paris. Public transport there could be a nightmare.

  6. Remy says:

    There’s just as much crime in Paris as in nyc. Last time I was there, someone pickpocketed me. And it’s just as dirty. And yet I still love both cities.

  7. Amy Bee says:

    She seems unlikable to me. Is she a right winger? Because her comments about crime in NY, Trump and climate change gives that impression.

    • Michael says:

      I remember blind items from over a decade ago implying that she is very racist and would not appear in a movie with POC unless she was paid extra. I do not know if that is true but it is easy to believe

      • SarahCS says:

        That might also link to some of the seeming animosity towards Joshua who is now clearly hugely in love with an very talented (and beautiful) black woman.

  8. Nicki says:

    The movie Troy was such a clunker. She wasn’t very good in it, and didn’t really look the part. Kinda funny she’s still litigating it all these years later. Meanwhile, Joshua Jackson is living his best life with Jodie Turner-Smith. Classy guy, not a word ever about his ex.

    • BeanieBean says:

      I was kinda stuck on her ‘I was an obvious choice’ for Helen of Troy. Why? Why a pretty blonde model for a Greek myth?

      • Risia Furio says:

        Which is hilarious considering Rose Byrne was the first choice for Helen.

      • Naya says:

        There are blonde Greeks.

      • Jj says:

        Beyond the blond thing, Helen of Troy was supposed to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Obviously subjective, but Diane Kruger would not be in my top 500, now or then, if I were making such a list. So for her to say it was obvious casting by looks alone is dubious (and a major brag).

      • CC says:

        Rose Byrne was arguably more beautiful in the same movie.

  9. Veronica S. says:

    Odd that she’d single out America’s largest city during a pandemic-induced recession for crime statistics if she’s living in Paris, which actually has a higher crime index than NYC.

    I’m always amused by the slight loftiness some Europeans have toward the US, like the privileges of their modernized socialist systems aren’t heavily banked on the US basically footing the majority of the military bill for the Western hemisphere. By all means, if you want to give some of it back to clean things up around here, be my guest lol.

    • CROWHOOD says:

      Don’t get me started I’ll be here all day! But I’ll try to succinctly say: excellent point. I get frustrated when allies abroad who benefit in the way you just mention act incredulous about our lack of public healthcare. And I get Furious with folks here in America who say we can’t afford healthcare bc I dont Want higher taxes as if there isn’t another option of just…reallocating like 3% of the military budget to education and 5% to healthcare.

    • Laura36 says:

      Interesting point about the military, Veronica. I never thought of that point but when you have the US paying and doing all the defense it does make funding programs for social advancement better. This site has the best commenters, I learn so much.

    • CourtneyB says:

      Preach. I’ve been saying this since I was a teenager in the 80s. And for all of Trump’s obnoxious and undiplomatic bragging about ‘forcing’ our nato allies to pony up more money, it was actually Obama who got that and they were, and are. The us is so huge geographically and so diverse in every category and, sadly, so divided right now. But it makes it hard to really compare us to other nations in terms of healthcare, etc. I remember some of the airport security arguments that airports like in Israel have tough security so it can be done. Like it’s anywhere near the size of even our 20th largest airport. And when right wingers bitch about nyc and California like governing them isn’t like running an incredibly diverse country in terms of population, gdp and, for CA, size. Of course they have issues and have destroyed some politicians.

  10. HeyKay says:

    I dislike her. And will Reedus ever shampoo or cut his hair again? TWD lost me years back.

  11. TQ says:

    Yeah, she seems very full of herself. And she’s definitely sending out the right-wing dog whistles, as others have said above.

    Re: her and JJ, I mentioned this on here years ago, but in April 2014 I was sitting at the table next to them & another couple at an LA restaurant and they were talking VERY loudly about loads of things (Scarlett Johansson, Kristin Stewart etc. — I live texted my BFF throughout so have the receipts!). One of the things they said was they’d been together for 8 years and had finally decided they were ready for kids. Maybe it was just something they just said to say it, or maybe both weren’t ready, or maybe they couldn’t for some reason. Who knows. Guess it wasn’t meant to be.

    And sounds like JJ and Jodie broke up, as others have said. Such a shame.

    • KP says:

      JJ and Jodie are still together. There were photos of them at the British fashion awards she hosted and also over the Holidays in London. He was back in states this week for the TCAs. I saw the Fatal attraction panel and others online.

    • Owleyes says:

      Ooh what else did they say?? I want some iced-tea! 😂

      JJ&JTS have been pictured together but also had a lot of ad campaigns that booked them as a couple, so it has been in their best interest to look ‘together’. Who knows when/ if they’ll call it but apparently they don’t live together, even on the rare times they’re in the same city.

      • TQ says:

        @Owleyes Yeah, I thought JJ & JTS unfollowed each other for a while on Insta around September last year: https://pagesix.com/2022/09/22/joshua-jackson-jodie-turner-smith-dont-follow-each-other-on-instagram/ . But as you say they do have those contracts so definitely some interest in being seen together.

        Although it’s now all ancient tea, there was indeed other gossip from my eavesdropping. I should note that he was really bragging about being on set & blah blah blah & just came across as having a huge ego! That’s what made me turn to look at who this loudmouth was, and it turns out it was JJ!

        Among other things I texted my friend: they said Scarlett Johansson got sexualised super young and got stuck in those roles (which is interesting as she’s now been saying that recently). They also said Scarlett is not very good on the stage! Ha! They said they felt sorry for Kristin Stewart, which I guess was 6 months(?) after the whole break up with Pattison over the cheating & maybe she was getting sorta blackballed in the industry for a bit? He also said he turned down a part in Twilight (which one?). He said he loves being on stage in London (is JJ a good stage actor?). They also told a story about her ‘knocking Harvey Weinstein’s sox off’ at an audition by speaking German! JJ also referred to Diane as ‘my lady’ throughout the meal. He did seem super supportive of her career in that conversation, at least that’s how it came across. Not deep tea, but I was amused!

      • Rose says:

        He was always very supportive of her career and would always say nice things about her, the whole way through. Which was in contrast to her, where she would always put him down about something in the many interviews she gave over their time together.

        Jodie and Josh pretty much refollowed each other hours later back in September and are still following each other. Josh has been spending time with Jodie and their daughter in London for the last few months, and staying with her.

  12. Cel1495 says:

    She sounds self centered and very much and a**hole.

    I live in New York, yes there is crime but she is grossly exaggerating here. There are other places that are most dangerous than NYC. Also, I very much doubt she lived in the high fish areas in NYC. Can she also give the JJ digs a rest? She has a very beautiful daughter, charming life by her own account and has the man she so much wanted/ needed … why still talk about the other one ?

    Oh and Paris is dirty too ( I been there many times) as well as many other European cities 🤷‍♀️

  13. Sandra says:

    As a New Yorker, I agree with her

  14. Elsa says:

    Wow. Boyfriends while in their ancient fifties. As a 61 year old, I would assume I could have boyfriends into my 90’s if I wanted. She sounds awful.

  15. Chichi says:

    Hmm no need to trash prior relationships but I agree with her observations on NYC

  16. Digital Unicorn says:

    She has always irked me – she’s not a great actress and is butt hurt that her career didn’t take off after Troy (which was not a great movie – I will never forget Orlando Bloom’s hammy acting and he can act).

    • AlpineWitch says:

      Troy was such a train wreck that it is one of the few movies I wanted to quit halfway through and leave the cinema… maybe only Eric Bana was redeemable in it.

  17. Peanut Butter says:

    Ugh, full of herself. I agree that her comments are suffused with right-wing dog whistles.

  18. Roo says:

    Her interview just confirmed all the ways I find her irritating and self-absorbed. Ugh. So glad Joshua is no longer with her.

  19. Frippery says:

    I promise I am not trying to be antagonistic or start any fights but I feel like if an American actress said, “Oh, Berlin, there’s a lot of crime, there’s so much dirt everywhere.” , they would really really be called out on it.

    • Veronica S. says:

      Oh, it’s definitely a double standard lol. I see it all the time on message boards where people talk shit about Americans that would definitely receive backlash if it were reversed. I get it and am not especially offended by it, especially with people who come from countries that have a right to be resent us, but with a lot of Europeans I just roll my eyes — especially with a GERMAN of all things downplaying the seriousness of what fascists in power means lol.

      • Haylie says:

        Yes! People think they’re one of the cool kids if they shit on the United States for messageboard clout. Those same people will turn a blind eye to European fuckery, rising facism and xenophobia.

  20. ThatsNotOkay says:

    I’m not sure why she doesn’t know that no one GAF about her baby. No one is going to hound her daughter for photos, even if Diane begged paparazzi to take one. Heck, no one is going to hound Diane herself for a pic! Get out of your own azz, you bitter, smug, weirdo.

    • Twin Falls says:

      I only knew her as JJ’s girlfriend and I thought they had an interesting style together. Now that she is with mr greasy hair she is completely uninteresting to me. I never saw Troy.

      I think JJ and JTS are going through some growing pains what with her career taking off and becoming parents. It’s a lot. I hope they make it through.

  21. Chantal says:

    Still not impressed by her but it’s great that she’s not pushing her daughter into the spotlight.
    Obvious dog whistles aside, if Hollywood offered her a role that was filming in NYC today, she’d break her neck to get there and offer up a multitude of platitudes about what a wonderful city it is.
    Btw, JJ and Jodie are gorgeous together!

  22. NotSoSocialB says:

    All I can hear is a vapid, narcissistic asshole. Me, me, me, me, me.

  23. Mel says:

    I live in Brooklyn, NYC. Diane Kruger should STFU. She sounds like a right-wing troll.

  24. GershwinC says:

    Kudos for speaking from her convictions, not candy coating to appease easily offended ravenous self anointed arbiters of propriety

  25. A Fan says:

    Nova is a beautiful name.

    [*It also means new in Ukrainian.*]

  26. CC says:

    Her personality comes off as kind of awful, but I do like the cover photo.

  27. ML says:

    Okay, as someone who used to have family in New York State, and has a friend who lives in NYC (convenient when you fly over from Holland before heading West), I really question wtf she’s talking about. The Banlieues, which make up a good chunk of Paris feel a lot less safe than most of NY City does. Diane Kruger is in a bubble.

  28. Abbie says:

    I still don’t understand why they picked her of all people to play the most beautiful woman in the world. I never found her attractive at all, the actress who played Briseis in the film was 10 times more beautiful than her. But whatever, I feel she got that role through some connections.

  29. AC says:

    I’ve been to both cities multiple times There’s also pros and cons to Paris just as there is to NYC. As far as the cleanliness goes, there’s also part of Paris that’s not clean, and some of the parks have dog poop everywhere I had to watch where I was stepping . Don’t get me wrong I love both cities , but to say that Paris is cleaner or nicer than NYC, that’s simply not true. For one thing , I wished they had window screens in Paris so you can just open the windows for fresh air instead of being eaten alive by mosquitoes at night during the summer . I also see way more graffiti in European cities than I do in any of American cities. I guess I never had a warm feeling of her and thought she was mis-cast playing Helen of Troy anyways . My boyfriend at the time also agreed with me.

  30. Christine says:

    Word, Kaiser.

    At this point, they both have a baby and a toddler, with their respective partners, and it’s begging for attention to mention him.

    ‘This is maybe the first time in my adult life that I’m in a relationship where I respect him to do his thing. I want him to feel he can do anything he’s interested in and I would support that. And I expect that the other way around [from him].’

  31. Long ago a friend went to Europe for six weeks as she had a brother stationed in Germany. When she came back I asked her about Paris, “oh tell me about Paris!” “It’s filthy!”. And that is all she had to say about Paris 😂

  32. Jess says:

    I am a born and raised South Floridian and I went to NYC when I was 10 and my biggest issue was that I thought it was dirty. I would never say this in an interview to be broadcasted around the world but that was my initial thought. I haven’t been back since because I have no desire to live there. Nothing about it has ever seemed appealing to me.

  33. KIKIKIYI says:

    they have boyfriends way into their 50’s ? uh 50’s is pretty young these days ?