High profile love affairs sell books, so it's a good thing for author Christopher Andersen that the subject of his latest book is not only one of the world's most renowned rockers but also a notorious ladies man.

 

'Mick: The Wild Life and Mad Genius of Jagger' arrives this week via Gallery Books and the New York Daily News has obtained a four-page excerpt that chronicles Mick Jagger's love affair with Carla Bruni, the model who would later become the first lady of France.

The book states that rocker-pal Eric Clapton was responsible for the introduction. The musician had been dating Bruni in 1990, but upon meeting Jagger the shift in their relationship began to change. Clapton recalled, "After Carla stood me up a couple of times, I got a call from the girl who had introduced us, telling me Carla was seeing Mick and it was serious. The obsession with Mick and Carla gripped me for the rest of that year. It took some grisly turns when I found myself guesting with the Stones on a couple of shows, knowing she was lurking in the background."

According to the book, the relationship with Bruni also toyed with his marriage to Jerry Hall, who ordered the singer to end the affair. After a big blow-up over Bruni, the pregnant Hall reportedly apologized and asked Mick to return after offering to look the other way. Jagger agreed, yet continued seeing Bruni and was reportedly with her the day after Hall gave birth to their daughter in 1992.

In the book, Hall says she intercepted a message from Bruni in code that stated "I'll be your mistress forever," something that didn't exactly sit well. "I almost had a nervous breakdown," explained Hall. "I cried myself inside out when Mick went out with Carla Bruni. I felt sick. It was unforgiveable." Hall says she confronted Bruni over the phone, who didn't take the request to leave Jagger alone to heart.

Hall would eventually let it be known that she and Jagger had separated and were likely headed for divorce. At that point, Jagger begged Hall to take him back and ended (albeit temporarily) the relationship with Bruni. But things didn't stay calm long as Hall intercepted a fax from Bruni while the Rolling Stones were on tour that stated she was going to meet him in Las Vegas.

Bruni says in the book, "It was a fling. I was in my twenties, so I wasn't thinking about a relationship. There were so many other women with Mick. I don't think I was responsible [for his split with Hall] … There were maybe ten other women."

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