Since the revelations of Mediapart published on June 1, which mentioned numerous accusations targeting the behavior of Patrick Bruel, in particular towards volunteers during the Enfoirés concerts, new testimonies continue to emerge. They report, over the years, warnings addressed to women in different environments and precautions taken by certain production teams. According to the continuation of this investigation published on June 3, several journalists affirm that certain editorial staff were experiencing behavior considered problematic and would have adapted their practices accordingly. In certain cases, instructions would have been given to prevent young journalists are sent alone for interviews.
This is particularly the case of a testimony reported by the media, that of Amélie Cordonnier, a freelancer in 2002 for The Avant-Scene theater. She is then responsible for covering at the square The Houndin which Patrick Bruel and Jacques Weber respond to each other. His editor-in-chief then asked him not to interview the singer. “You really shouldn’t see Bruel, everyone knows it“. A formulation confirmed by the person responsible at the time.
“You’re really lucky, it’s an old guy who’s coming to interview me”
The interview with Patrick Bruel is indeed entrusted to one man, the journalist Gilles Costaz. The latter explains to Mediapart to have gone there, exceptionally, accompanied of “a friend” considérée “a bit like [sa] girl”, who had “absolutely wanted [l']to accompany”. The interview goes according to him “without a false note”. But according to the testimony of Amélie Cordonnier, the situation would have quickly taken another turn as she prepared to interview Jacques Weber. While waiting for him, she is in the hallway. Patrick Bruel would have it “comb aperçue”that he would have sent him messages “heavy, inappropriate and disturbing remarks on [son] physique”by the way “insistent”. Still according to his story, the singer finally returned to the dressing room during his interview with Jacques Weber. “He didn’t want to leave anymore, he said to Weber: “You’re really lucky, I’m an old guy who comes to interview me.“ He insisted on having my phone number, I ended up giving it by changing the last digit.” She remembers that during this sequence, Jacques Weber showed himself“very protectiveâ€.
Jacques Weber : “At the time I had no suspicions”
Contacté par Mediapartthe actor Jacques Weber indicates that he does not keep “no memory” of the scene reported nor of this incident. The actor also explains having ““I was interviewed a lot at that time.” “At the time, I had no suspicions”specifies the one who in 2004 attended the wedding of Patrick Bruel and the writer Amanda Sthers. “Later I heard about his reputation as a great runner”he concludes.
Amélie Cordonnier did not know it at the time, but she would meet Léon and Oscar’s father ten years later when she was head of the culture department of another magazine. She is once again responsible for interviewing Patrick Bruel for the release of the film You want or you don’t wantin which he plays a “sex addict” repented alongside Sophie Marceau.
The journalist remembers this moment: “He arrived, he was abrupt, he addressed me informally and said in a vulgar way that he wanted to sleep with me,” she says. She then reminded him that he had already made similar comments to her twelve years earlier. He would have replied: “It proves that I am consistent.” The journalist says she was destabilized by this new exchange. “J’étais estomaquée par son aplomb, she says. I didn’t let myself do it, he left the interview not happy.” For the moment Patrick Bruel remains presumed innocent of the facts with which he is accused.
