Juliette Pellegrini

Juliette Pellegrini is a major character in the French thriller series Lupin. She is portrayed by Clotilde Hesme, while her teenaged counterpart is portrayed by Léa Bonneau.

Juliette is Anne and Hubert's daughter, and Assane's on-and-off paramour. She is in the process of starting a foundation to provide opportunities to underprivileged children.

1995
One day, as Assane gets ready to swim in the Pellegrinis’ pool, he notices that Juliette is lying nearby. She asks him if he is the chauffeur's son; Assane tells her that he is, and that he will be fourteen years old in a week’s time. Juliette asks Assane whether the rumor that Black people cannot swim is true. Assane responds that he, at least, can swim. Juliette tells Assane that if he swims across the pool, she will kiss him. Assane paddles to the other side of the pool, where Juliette upholds her promise.

After Assane’s transfer to the College d’Andrésy, Juliette sees him on occasion. However, Hubert puts a stop to this, telling Juliette that people like Assane are beneath them, and that she is never to interact with him again.

2006
Although Assane’s main romantic relationship is with Claire, he has also been carrying out an affair with Juliette (against her father's wishes), which he intends to end. One day, Juliette visits a restaurant where Assane and Benjamin are having lunch. Assane gets up and goes to talk to her in one of the bathrooms, asking her to stop following him around. Assane tells Juliette that his cheating on Claire has been a mistake, and claims to be a good person. Juliette responds that Assane is not a good person, which is what she likes about him. She also complains about Claire and tells Assane that she will not keep waiting for him; Assane replies that this is the right thing for her to do.

Part 1
Juliette oversees the proceedings when her father’s necklace gets auctioned off at the Louvre. She tells the attendees that the purchase of the necklace will help create the Hubert & Juliette Pellegrini Foundation in support of children in need. The bidding begins at 17 million euros; Assane, claiming to be a multimillionaire tech businessman named Paul Sernine, continually outbids all the other attendees and wins.

After the auction and the ensuing theft of the necklace, Juliette visits her mother Anne, telling her that the jewels that have been procured by the police are fake, and commenting that her father will be very upset. Anne reminds Juliette that with Hubert, one is either with him or against him. When Juliette leaves Anne, she is handed an envelope containing an anonymous message, which tells her to be at Luxembourg Gardens the following afternoon without police. A diamond from the necklace is also included with the letter.



The next day, Juliette goes to Luxembourg Gardens, but calls the police, who are standing nearby in plain clothes in order to provide assistance if needed. Assane rides into the gardens wearing the uniform of a Deli + Eat delivery man, as well as a scarf, helmet and sunglasses, all of which obscure his face completely. He sits down next to Juliette and, seeing that she is wearing a microphone pin, covers it with his hand as he reveales his face. Assane tells Juliette about Benjamin’s revelation that the necklace has never been taken apart; Juliette admits that the story the Pellegrinis had told about the gems being scattered across the world was made up to create hype, and that the necklace had actually been bought from a jeweller in south Africa. Assane urges Juliette to tell him that his father was innocent; Juliette responds that she cannot, reminding him that Babakar had signed a confession to the theft, and tells him that she is not sure if he truly knew his father. Assane jumps on his bike and rides out of the park, with the police attempting to chase him. He successfully escapes when several more Deli + Eat delivery men, previously called in by Assane, appear on the scene, confusing the police.

After Laugier reviews the video footage from Luxembourg Gardens, he brings Juliette in for questioning, telling her that she seems to know the suspect. Juliette responds that she can call her lawyers and get him fired, and leaves. Juliette has, however, become slightly suspicious of her father, and asks him if Babakar had really stolen the necklace. Hubert becomes angry, maintaining that Babakar was the thief, and professing to be hurt by her doubting his honesty. He asks Juliette if she stands with him; she responds that she does.



Later, Juliette and her father are in a business meeting, when the other members of their team suddenly begin to receive cell phone notifications. Juliette checks her own phone and sees that a twitter user named “Salvator813” is accusing Hubert of having sold arms to a group of Malaysian terrorists, and is threatening to leak video of the event. Juliette asks Hubert about the contents of the video; he denies knowing what it is about. Juliette asks her father to do something about the threat, since she is worried that any bad publicity will destroy the launch of her new charitable foundation. When Hubert gives his press conference regarding the tweet, Juliette proudly stands behind him.

After seeing “Salvator” fail to reveal any incriminating information on a live news show, Juliette is convinced of her father’s innocence. She calls Hubert and tells him that she believes that Salvator is actually Assane Diop, who had also been behind the Louvre heist. Juliette asks Hubert why Assane is doing these things; he tells her that Assane wants to destroy the Pellegrini family due to his belief that they are responsible for Babakar’s death.

Part 2
Juliette and Hubert make a promotional video with the presenter of The Other Edition, in which Hubert condemns "Salvator." Afterwards, the two attend a gala in honor of Juliette’s foundation at the Park Hyatt hotel, where, unbeknownst to Juliette, Hubert is keeping Raoul. Juliette gives a speech, thanking her supporters and revealing that the foundation will officially be launched with an upcoming concert at the Théâtre du Châtelet.

Juliette meets with many potential donors in order to secure the success of her foundation. One of these, a French-Canadian entrepreneur named Horace Velmont (actually a fictional personality created by Assane and Benjamin), stands Juliette up for dinner. When Juliette sees Assane walking by the restaurant she is in, she motions for him to come inside. Assane acts suspicious of her motivations, but Juliette assures him that she means well, stating that the bad blood between their fathers need not come between the two of them. She tells Assane about her work and being stood up by Valmont, and comments that her life has grown serious. Assane asks Juliette if she misses the adrenaline-filled days of their youth, and Juliette admits that she does. The two decide to leave the restaurant without paying, after which Assane steals a motorcycle and takes Juliette on a ride across Paris. Unbeknownst to Juliette, Assane had meticulously planned their entire evening, making arrangements with both the restaurant and the owner of the motorcycle.

Next, Juliette encounters Assane at the Musée d’Orsay. She is stunned to see him there, and tells him that although their evening together had been greatly enjoyable for her, they cannot stop time. Later, Juliette receives what appears to be a priceless Pissarro from the museum (in reality, a detailed fake created by Benjamin), with a note attached that reads “Sometimes, we can stop time.” Almost immediately, Juliette sees several notifications pop up on her computer and phone reporting on the theft of the painting. At the same time, two ex-convicts dressed as police officers enter her room and ask her about its disappearance, since Juliette was in the museum shortly before it “went missing.” Juliette nervously tells them that she doesn’t know anything about the theft.

When she sees Assane again, Juliette is irritated with him, asking him what he was thinking by stealing the Pissarro. She is also confused by Assane’s apparent pursuit of her, as he had told her fourteen years earlier that he wanted to stay true to Claire. Assane tells Juliette that he was wrong, citing Claire’s decision to betray him in order to recover Raoul, and claims that Claire is the mother of his child and nothing more. Juliette reveals that she has been looking at Claire’s social media accounts and has noticed that her new boyfriend Marc has given her a bracelet as a present. She demands that Assane steal it to prove his affections for her.

After having taken the bracelet, Assane presents it to Juliette. However, he tells her that he would prefer that the two would just start over, stating that he will return the bracelet to Claire, and the painting to the Musée d’Orsay. Assane complains that Hubert has always been against their being a couple; Juliette tells him to stop focusing on her father. Assane reminds Juliette of Hubert’s accusations against Babakar, suggesting that she doesn’t know the full story, and urges her to speak to her mother about it, handing her an envelope with the name “Ganimard” written on it. He tells Juliette that Ganimard is a police officer who will be willing to hear Anne’s evidence, should she choose to come forward with it. Juliette agrees, and gives Assane the bracelet, which he sends back to Claire. In her office, Juliette reads that the Pissarro painting has been recovered.

Juliette decides to visit Anne, telling her that she needs to understand the truth about Babakar. Anne admits that in 1995, Hubert’s company was bleeding money, so he hired Babakar with the intention of framing him for the necklace theft. Juliette is horrified and asks Anne why she did not go to the police immediately. Anne confesses that she believed the loss of Hubert would scar Juliette, as the two had been very close. Highly distressed by what she is hearing, Juliette begs Anne to fix her previous mistake by reporting Hubert to “Ganimard.”

Some time later, Juliette receives news that Hubert has been taken into police custody. She walks along her and Assane’s usual meeting spot by the Seine. Assane meets her there and kisses her. However, Hubert is quickly released due to his connections to the powerful politician Albert Fontan. In dismay, Juliette reveals the news to Assane, lamenting that her father always gets whatever he wants. She considers cancelling her concert, but Assane argues that she should not, telling her that she is a good person and that her foundation would be giving an excellent opportunity to children who truly need it.

That evening, Assane becomes France’s most wanted criminal after the news breaks of his masterminding the Louvre heist and his supposed murder of Léonard. Juliette watches the news in shock, and calls Assane, but is unable to reach him. She leaves a message, telling Assane to call her back immediately; however, she seemingly receives no response.

On the night of the concert at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Juliette anxiously applies her makeup while Hubert tells her that he is proud of her. As the musicians assemble, Juliette walks onstage and introduces the event, telling the audience that she appreciates their support and that they can donate to her foundation using a specially created app. After finishing her brief speech, Juliette sits in her seat to enjoy the music, and is stunned when Assane appears onstage after it has finished. He apologizes to Juliette for ruining her launch, and publicly accuses Hubert of organizing the murders of Babakar and Fabienne as well as the kidnapping of Raoul. He concludes by revealing Hubert’s intent to scam Juliette and the foundation.

Personality and relationships


Juliette is outgoing and confident. She is close with her father, Hubert, and works closely with him on his business affairs. Juliette is skilled at marketing and promotion, presiding over the auction of the necklace and helping to craft the story of its return into her father’s hands. She wants to do good by using the family’s money to set up charitable foundations; however, she is not above using her social standing in order to get her way.

Juliette first met Assane in 1995, when Babakar was working for the Pellegrini family; it was Juliette who gave Assane his first kiss. Later, the two carried out an extended affair, which Assane ended in 2006 in order to devote himself to his relationship with Claire. Juliette was dismayed by Assane’s decision, but ultimately let him go. She continues to maintain a degree of loyalty to Assane in the present day, declining to give his name up to the police as a suspect in the case of the necklace theft even though she is aware of his guilt. However, when Assane comes into increasing conflict with Hubert, Juliette sides firmly with her father.

Appearances

 * Part One


 * Chapter 1
 * Chapter 2
 * Chapter 4
 * Chapter 5


 * Part Two


 * Chapter 7
 * Chapter 8
 * Chapter 9
 * Chapter 10

Quotes
"If you swim to me, I’ll kiss you. A real kiss...not like your mother’s."

- Juliette to Assane in 1995

"You can detain me, I’ll send for my lawyers, and you’ll get fired within fifteen minutes."

- Juliette threatens Laugier during her questioning

"It’s never been simple between our two families. But our fathers aren’t us."

- Juliette to Assane in the restaurant

Trivia

 * Juliette has some similarities with Josephine Balsamo, one of the primary antagonists in the Arsène Lupin stories.