Claudine Longet’s Controversial Trial: French Actress Was Lesser Charged After Shooting Dead Her Olympian Beau

French singer and actress Claudine Longet faced one of the most dubious homicide trials in connection with the shooting death of Olympian skier Vladimir 'Spider' Sabich. While her early career saw Longet’s rise as one of the most popular faces in cinema and television, she ultimately fell from grace like no other.

Almost 50 years after the startling shooting, questions surrounding what became one of the shortest and most unexpected sentences have left many puzzled. Although Longet was involved in the death of Sabich, the trial and investigation resulted in a much lighter punishment for her.

Claudine reportedly established a prolific career in films back during the 1960s, all thanks to her husband, Andy Williams. He was the one who developed Longet’s singing and acting career across the United States. The two were married for 14 years and had three children. But by 1975, the duo called it quits, got divorced, and yet claimed to remain best of friends.

A few years after her split, Longet crossed paths with Spider Sabich, who by then was a celebrated Alpine skier in America. They met one another during a celebrity ski race event in Bear Valley, California, and instantly hit it off.

Their relationship evolved with time, and the duo remained strongly in love. Sabich, who eventually became a professional ski racing champion, invited Longet, along with her kids, to move in with him in Aspen.

Everything went smoothly between the duo up until the fateful day on March 21, 1976. Longet, who had just reached back home after a day of drinking at an Aspen bar, ended up shooting Sabich in the stomach. The bullet was fired using an imitation World War II model Luger pistol at the skier, who reportedly was about to shower.

Sabich died on the spot due to the bullet wound. Longet was arrested and charged with fatally shooting her boyfriend. During her trial, the actress defended her action, stating that the gun accidentally discharged a bullet while Sabich was showing her how it worked. She even alleged to have a smooth relationship with her boyfriend.

Longet further testified that her deceased boyfriend was still standing inside the bathroom when they had their last conversation. She reportedly had said to Sabich, “I would like you to tell me more about the gun and what the safety means.”

However, prosecutors had a very different approach to the case. They alleged that the position of the skier’s body and the distance from which the bullet was fired did not match Longet’s statements.

The investigation into the case reportedly faced many hurdles, all of which contributed to a botched trial. Investigators took the actress’s blood sample and seized her diary, with no warrant to do so. While the sample showed the presence of cocaine in her body, her diary contradicted that things between Longet and Sabich were not sour.

Forensic experts also manhandled the murder weapon, which made the case more complicated for prosecution. Since the prosecution was left with no other strong evidence to forward their case, the actress was given a much lesser sentence.

The twelve-member jury on the case delivered a split verdict initially. While four found Longet guilty of reckless manslaughter, four others voted for her acquittal, and the remaining jury members were left undecided.

Finally, by June 1977, a joint verdict by the jury charged the actress with misdemeanor negligent homicide. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail and was allowed to serve consecutively on weekends and even choose the date she would begin.

The particular arrangement was made so that Longet could spend time with her kids. Moreover, she was also put under two years’ probation for which she was to pay $25 as a fine to cover the cost of probation.

Once her sentencing in the case was completed, Claudine Longet decided to proceed with a totally unassuming and private life. She left to start afresh and live on the Red Mountain, where she was joined by her defense attorney, Ron Austin. The duo reportedly tied the knot soon after.

In the meantime, Spider Sabich’s family sued Longet in a $1.3 million lawsuit. This was settled out of court once the actress agreed to an agreement of confidentiality. She was ordered never to discuss Sabich or his killing publicly, and even to refrain from publishing any memoir about her life or the trial.

Hereafter, the French actress’s life unfolded quietly and grabbed no further attention. It was finally on May 14, 2026, that Claudine’s nephew, Bryan, revealed that she passed away at the age of 84.