Patrick Bruel is facing accusations of sexual violence from eight women, according to reports. The French singer and actor is currently the subject of at least two formal complaints, one alleging sexual assault and attempted rape, and another for rape.
The allegations came to light on Wednesday with a report from Mediapart, which likewise details accusations from six other women regarding sexual violence dating back to 1992 and 2019.
Bruel, through his lawyer Christophe Ingrain, maintains his innocence, stating he “never sought to coerce anyone into a sexual act.” The celebrated singer “affirms he never went beyond a refusal, never forced a gesture or sexual act.”
“Need for Liberation”
The most recent complaint was filed on March 12 with the Paris prosecutor’s office by Daniela Elstner, the current director general of Unifrance, a source close to the case confirmed. “Her approach today is less about seeking judicial condemnation than a need for liberation, for herself, and for all the others,” explained her lawyer, Jade Dousselin.
According to Mediapart, Elstner alleges a sexual assault and attempted rape occurred during the French Film Festival in Acapulco, Mexico, in November 1997. At the time, she was an assistant with Unifrance, the organization responsible for promoting French cinema internationally.
“She first came to see me in 2019, to discuss, within the framework of the institution she led, the emerging subject of #MeToo in France,” Dousselin recounted. “When we began to consider together the necessary and complex balance between freeing speech and respecting the presumption of innocence, she told me, with a great deal of emotion, her personal story.”
Preliminary Investigation
Another complaint was filed on September 30, 2024, with the Saint-Malo prosecutor’s office, a second source close to the case confirmed. The woman accuses Bruel of rape in October 2012, following the British Film Festival in Dinard, where Bruel served as jury president, according to the same source.
According to the investigative website, this complaint led to the opening of a preliminary investigation for rape. Bruel has not yet been questioned by investigators, the source added.
The article in Mediapart “fabricates a character and a system that never existed,” Bruel’s lawyer asserted. “On a large part of the facts mentioned” in the article, “justice has already ruled,” Me Ingrain pointed out, referring to two investigations opened after accusations from two masseuses and dismissed without further action in December 2020. The accusations against Bruel arrive as the entertainment industry continues to grapple with the ongoing impact of the #MeToo movement.
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