Patrick Bruel Denies Rape Allegations, Vows to Continue
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- Patrick Bruel posted on Instagram denying all allegations, writing "I have never forced a woman" and adding that "if I have hurt anyone, I sincerely regret it"
- Paris prosecutors announced Bruel faces at least four sexual assault complaints in France that will be investigated together
- Bruel is also under a separate investigation in Belgium after a complaint alleging sexual assault in Brussels was filed in March
- The 67-year-old's concert tour begins June 16 across France, Switzerland, Belgium, and Canada, though a feminist-backed petition is calling for the concerts to be cancelled
- Investigative outlet Mediapart has been publishing allegations from women accusing Bruel of sexual harassment and assault since March, including claims by TV presenter Flavie Flament, whose relationship Bruel called "neither violent, nor coercive, nor underhanded"
- Bruel's lawyer Christophe Ingrain said courts already ruled on some allegations, including 2019 complaints by two massage therapists that were closed due to lack of evidence
- The case follows the Gérard Depardieu conviction — the French film legend was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women during a 2021 film shoot and given an 18-month suspended sentence, with his appeal set for November
Why it matters: Bruel's defiance puts him on a collision course with feminist groups and a petition demanding cancellation of a tour launching June 16. With at least four active French complaints plus a Belgian investigation, the legal outcome will test whether France's justice system treats celebrity status as shield or irrelevance — the same reckoning that recently produced Depardieu's 18-month suspended sentence.
