Some detail below on the 'scandal' mentioned.
While making the 1969 thriller
La Piscine (
The Swimming Pool) with Romy Schneider, Delon's friend and bodyguard
Stevan Marković was found murdered in a rubbish dump near Paris. The police investigation went on to reveal allegations of sex parties involving celebrities such as Delon and members of government including future French Prime Minister
Georges Pompidou, whose wife,
Claude Pompidou, was allegedly the focus of a series of compromising photos at one such party. Corsican crime boss
François Marcantoni, a friend of Delon, was suspected of involvement. The affair gained notoriety throughout France and in the French press as the "
Marković affair". In a 1969
BBC interview, Delon was questioned about his alleged involvement in the death of Marković, rumours of his involvement in sex parties, and Delon's own sexual tastes.
A heavy gambler who was often suspected of cheating, Marković was known for his high-class parties at which, it was alleged, he would set up secret cameras throughout the house, especially in the bedrooms. He thus collected many compromising photos of the guests that could have damaged their social status. He most likely used the pictures for blackmail, especially since he approached several newspapers trying to sell them. Surprisingly, some of these photographs would be alleged to be directly targeting Delon and Marcantoni themselves. However, the most important photos that Marković supposedly possessed were scandalous shots of Pompidou's wife. That was a major concern to Pompidou, who was preparing to run for president. On 1 October 1968, Marković's body was found in a public dump in the village of
Élancourt,
Yvelines, west of Paris. Although many people had a reason to kill him, his murder is still unsolved.