Breaking public silence about her sister, Olivia de Havilland mourns death of Joan Fontaine

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Olivia de Havilland has offered a rare public comment to say that she is “shocked and saddened” by the death of her sister and fellow actress Joan Fontaine.

Fontaine died on Monday in Carmel, California. She was 96.

The sisters had reportedly feuded for decades and de Havilland has often declined to talk about Fontaine.

The 97-year-old longtime resident of Paris said that she was grateful for the “expressions of sympathy.”

De Havilland and Fontaine are among Hollywood’s most famous siblings. The fellow Oscar winners and stars from Hollywood’s studio era are known for their many screen achievements and for a rivalry that at times became public. Fontaine was openly critical of de Havilland.