French singer and actor Patrick Bruel is in police custody following allegations of rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault by at least 13 women. The 67-year-old pop culture icon, known for his hit songs in the 1980s and 1990s, over 40 film and television appearances, and as a one-time world poker champion, denies all allegations. Bruel was taken into custody on Monday, and prosecutors later sought to charge him and place him in pre-trial detention on Wednesday over nine allegations of sexual abuse.
The Nanterre prosecutor’s office stated that the investigation began after three women accused Bruel of sexual assault and attempted rape allegedly committed in 1997, 2000, and 2001. During the investigation, additional women were identified and interviewed, reporting allegations of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, and harassment. Recent media reports, notably by the investigative website Mediapart, brought these decades-long allegations to public attention, prompting more complaints to be filed. Additionally, lawyer Myriam Guedj Benayoun stated that a new complaint would soon be filed regarding the attempted rape of a 19-year-old at Bruel's home in 2000.
The scope of the allegations extends across different regions and years. An investigation into an alleged 2012 rape in Dinard, in the Brittany region, was transferred to the Nanterre prosecutor’s office, and Belgian authorities notified French prosecutors of a woman's accusations of rape and sexual assault allegedly committed in Brussels in 2010. Public prosecutors have requested that Bruel be indicted for offenses allegedly committed between 2010 and 2019.
Bruel’s lawyers, Christophe Ingrain, Céline Lasek, and Fanny Colin, stated that the singer has been available to judicial authorities for several weeks. They asserted that he will answer all investigators' questions and provide the elements necessary to demonstrate his innocence through the proper legal proceedings.