Candice Bergen Spent Hours Cuddling Her Long-Awaited Baby — Birth of Daughter Was Greatest Event in Her Life

Candice Bergen met her first husband in her 30s. The two were very in love and had a daughter together. Later, when Candice was doing her show, her husband was diagnosed with cancer and passed away. After six years alone, Candice remarried.

When Candice Bergen was in her mid-30s, the then-little-known actress met the man that would become her first husband, the French filmmaker Louis Malle. Candice shared that when she first spoke to him, she could feel they would have a deep connection.

In fact, they were both enamored by each other from the very start. She said age played a role in why she knew so quickly that they would get along. The actress also described Louis as a "very brilliant man."

Needless to say, Candice was utterly in love with Louis. The actress mentioned she was absolutely fascinated by the man and felt safe around him. She also claimed that he could be unbelievably charming, "as only a Frenchman can be."

So, the two married in 1980 and spent many happy years together. The initial interest and deep attraction that formed between the two lasted a long time, and Candice often noted how much she loved him. She commented:

"I was very happy being married to Louis. He was a great love of my life, and we had a great time together."

After the two were married, their family expanded, and so did their careers. Although they always loved one another, things didn't always go well for Candice and her husband. The two always tried to make things work, though.

The Birth of Candice's Daughter

A while after she married, Candice gave birth to her only child, a baby girl they named Chloe Malle. The actress has said that the birth of her daughter was "the greatest event in her life." She remembered Louis calling her "Mademoiselle Chloe Malle" at birth.

Her daughter soon became more important than anything in the world, including her husband.

She also shared that Louis took Chloe in his arms and started singing to her when she was born. At the moment, Candice had been heavily medicated, and she shared that she became very emotional and couldn't stop wondering how she could love Chloe so much.

Her newborn daughter soon became Candice's main focus in life. She was thrilled when Chloe arrived and spent as much time with her as possible. The 39-year-old actress sang to her daughter every night, as she remembered:

"'I love you, Chloe, I love your eyes, I love your nose, I love your fingers, I love your toes...' Over and over, for half an hour. She'd go into a trance. It was my attempt to civilize her."

Candice also noted that her daughter was a spirited little one. She said Chloe had clearly been fighting to get there, and her mom was "just the transportation." Due to some complications, the first year of Chloe's life was challenging, but Candice gushed that she never regretted having her.

During the first year of Chloe's life, her father wasn't around much. Candice recalled that it was just a traditional setting with a mother and her child in front of a fire that winter. Louis called her an "absolute mother, excessive mother, admirable mother."

Conflict Started Brewing

After that first year, Louis was away on business regularly, and Candice grew closer to Chloe. Her daughter soon became more important than anything in the world, including her husband. He felt as if she'd grown cold toward him.

After such a long time with someone, the actress occupied her time with other things.

She looked back at the time before Chloe and realized she had been more loving then. She had devoted a large chunk of her life to Louis, but now that Chloe was there and he had to travel so often, she barely paid attention to him at all.

While Chloe was very young, Candice also got the opportunity to star in the hit series "Murphy Brown." With her work and child, she had many responsibilities and little time for Louis. She also had to live in Los Angeles for filming while he was in New York. She shared:

"It was very hard on our marriage. It's one of those times where life gets messy, and there is not much to do."

During this time, Louis was sadly diagnosed with lymphoma. The sudden onset of the disease drastically changed their lives and made managing things even more challenging. Candice was still working full-time, so Chloe decided that she would be the one to care for Louis.

Although her mother admitted seeing her father's condition worsen was hard on Chloe, she said the two grew close during his last days. His illness was also hard on Candice, who still loved Louis dearly. He passed away on November 23, 1995.

Candice Managed to Move On

After Louis' death, Candice spent a long time on her own. After such a long time with someone, the actress occupied her time with other things. She found a small apartment in Los Angeles and spent time with her dog, Bruce. She described the home:

"It was like a little tiny chapel. There were stained-glass windows in the cupola. One showed [Drew Barrymore] and Dolores Costello in a scene from 'The Sea Beast.'"

She also withdrew from acting during this time and spent most of her time out of the public eye. Eventually, though, Candice met someone new. She married for a second time in 2000, this time to a real estate developer named Marshall Rose.

After meeting Marshall, she seemed to get a taste for life once more and returned to acting. In 2005, she joined the cast of "Boston Legal" alongside other famous faces, such as William Shatner. She even got an Emmy nomination for her performance.

In the meantime, Chloe started working as a writer and editor for Vogue. She also married a financier, Graham Albert, and they had a boy named Arthur Louis Albert and a daughter named Alice Malle Albert. Candice, the instinctual mother that she is, can't get enough of young Artie:

"He's just the dumpling. He's just the best arrival of joy in one's life. I'm crying. I'm just looking forward to the future with Artie."

Now, with her attention fixed squarely on helping raise her grandkids, Candice has taken over a barn on one of her daughter and son-in-law's properties. Here, she built herself a comfortable house where she plans to retire.