The French music and film industry is shaken by the arrest of one of its brightest stars. On Monday morning, popular singer and actor Patrick Bruel was taken into custody. The Nanterre prosecutor's office confirmed that the 67-year-old artist will be interrogated as part of a large-scale investigation into charges of sexual assault, attempted rape, and rape.
Scope of the investigation and timeline of events
According to authorities, 13 women have so far accused the French star of sexual crimes. According to the victims, the incidents occurred between 1997 and 2012. Initially, the case was opened based on statements from three women, but later the number of accusers grew to 13. The Nanterre prosecutor's office clarified that Bruel is currently being questioned about all these episodes.
Among those who gave testimony is the famous TV host Flavie Flament. She claims that in 1991, Bruel drugged her and raped her at his home in Paris. According to her, she was 16 years old at the time, and the singer was 32. Flament told the investigative publication Mediapart that she remembers drinking a cup of tea and then finding herself lying on a bed while Bruel was buttoning her trousers. She is convinced that she was drugged and assaulted.
In addition to Flavie Flament, about 30 other women have reported sexualized violence by Patrick Bruel, but for now, the Nanterre prosecutor's office is only considering 13 episodes. Among them, according to Mediapart, is a case closed in 2020 due to lack of evidence. In addition, two separate complaints are being considered by law enforcement authorities in the French city of Saint-Malo and in Belgium.
Artist's reaction and his defense
Patrick Bruel categorically rejects the accusations brought against him. On his Instagram, he wrote: "I have never in my life forced a woman to do anything. I have never drugged anyone, manipulated people, or tried to submit anyone to my will, just as I have never used my fame for violence or to obtain sexual relations without consent".
The artist's lawyers issued a statement saying that their client will cooperate with the investigation and intends to prove his innocence. The singer's lawyer, Christophe Engren, called Flavie Flament's story a fabrication. He told the BFMTV channel that the relationship between his client and the host was "entirely voluntary".
"Patrick Bruel states very clearly: he never forced Flavie Flament to do anything and never drugged her. There was no rape. These were two people who liked each other and could occasionally engage in intimate relations when they met," said Engren.
In response, Flament stated: "I never had any relationship with Patrick Bruel".
Consequences for the artist's career
The scandal immediately affected Bruel's professional activities. The 67-year-old artist has already canceled most of his upcoming tour, which was scheduled to start in mid-June in Paris and continue with performances at festivals. Last week, organizers also canceled three of the singer's concerts in Montreal. However, several performances are still scheduled for autumn.
In Paris, one of the theaters canceled the last five plays featuring the artist from its repertoire after a protest by feminists.
Context and official position
Flavie Flament is one of the first women in France to publicly speak out about sexual violence by influential men. In 2016, she stated that at the age of 13, she was raped on the French Riviera by British photographer David Hamilton. After her accusations were corroborated by the stories of other women, Hamilton committed suicide. This story led to a change in French legislation: the statute of limitations for sexual crimes against minors was increased from 20 to 30 years after the alleged commission of the crime.
French government spokesperson Mod Brejon stated that women who have become victims of violence need to be supported in their desire to speak about what they have experienced, even if it concerns events that happened many years ago.
"Women should be encouraged to speak about this, even decades later," she said. "After that, the task of the justice system is to establish the truth and find out the factual circumstances of what happened".
Patrick Bruel, whose real name is Patrick Benguigui, was born in Algeria in 1959. He gained widespread fame in the early 1980s thanks to his hits and film roles.