On March 18th, the news website Mediapart published a shocking investigation in which eight women accuse Patrick Bruel of violence and sexual assault for incidents that allegedly took place between 1992 and 2019. Two of them filed complaints: one for a rape that occurred in 2012 at the Dinard British Film Festival, the other for an attempted rape in 1997 at the Acapulco French Film Festival in Mexico. The latter complaint was filed by Daniela Eltsner, the current CEO of Unifrance, who was quoted saying, “She was sexually assaulted in a taxi and at that moment, she was rather surprised. And then he will bring her to his bungalow and she tells me that it is at that moment that she realizes the violence of what is happening,” explained her lawyer, Me Jade Dousselin on RTL.
Patrick Bruel: Will he be able to perform at his concert in Provence as planned this summer?
Amidst this legal storm, Patrick Bruel remains quiet, speaking only through his lawyers. However, the singer is expected to return to the stage soon for his tour “Alors regarde 35”. He is set to perform on July 4th in Salon-de-Provence. When asked by Franceinfo, the concert organizer reassured the public about the show’s status.
“Yes, the concert will take place in full and I have no concerns, given the elements I have,” stated Daniel Devoux. “Patrick Bruel benefits from the presumption of innocence. Putting someone on the pillory without the judgment of the court is not possible. I have already programmed Patrick Bruel several times, never had any issue,” he further explained.
A feminist collective demands the cancellation of Patrick Bruel’s concert
The statements by the concert organizer sparked reactions. For collectives supporting victims of sexual violence, these remarks are simply unacceptable. “For us, it’s unbearable,” said Marie from the Salon Feminist collective. “We start from the assumption that we believe the victims, despite the presumption of innocence that is always brought up, we first think about the victims. When the victims start to be numerous, spreading over several years, our fight will be to continue to support them until the end,” she added. A compromised return to the stage.
