Renaud's father Olivier Séchan, born to a Protestant Languedoc family from the Cévennes and Montpellier, was a prize-winning novelist and popular children's writer. He taught German in a secondary school in Paris. The director Edmond Séchan is his uncle. His grandfather was the famous scholar and Hellenist Louis Séchan, who taught at the Sorbonne. His ancestors were pastors. His mother is the daughter of a coal miner from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. Renaud dedicated part of his work to his familial roots, singing traditional songs in the regional Picard language and playing the part of Étienne Lantier in Germinal, a film based on the famous Émile Zola novel.
In August 2005, Renaud married Romane Serda, the mother of his son Malone. In 2007, he announced to the press his intention to move his family to London, citing a love for British society and expressing disillusionment at the current state of France. In 2009 Renaud's daughter, writer Lolita Séchan, married French acoustic singer-songwriter Renan Luce.
In September 2011, Romane divorced Renaud on the account of his alcoholism and depression.
Family
Renaud's family tree stretches up to the 1600s, and it can bee seen here
