Patrick Bruel, other stars implicated: why it is sometimes so difficult to believe the accusations against an admired personality

When a celebrity is accused of serious crimes – like Patrick Bruel at the moment, who is suspected of rape – the reactions are often the same. Some immediately demand sanctions. Others defend him, or even minimize the facts. A form of denial that questions. Why are we sometimes more lenient towards a famous personality? Why do certain accusations seem more difficult to hear when they concern a figure we have admired for years?

For Amélie Boukhobza, clinical psychologist, several psychological mechanisms can explain this phenomenon.

When admiration clouds our judgment

Faced with a personality we like, our brain does not always react in a completely rational way.

“Firstly, because we grew up with their songs. We watched their films. We have sometimes associated them with important memories of our life: a separation, a first love, a difficult period… In other words, we love them and they occupy a special place in our little inner world“, explains the clinical psychologist.

Then, because these accusations contradict the positive image we had of this personality. On the one hand, there are the reported facts; on the other, the positive image that we had constructed: this is what we call cognitive dissonance.

“When information contradicts the image we had of them, it creates a form of psychological conflict, a cognitive dissonance. Something no longer fits”details the specialist.

Our brain then seeks to reduce this mental discomfort by reestablishing its own truth. “He minimizes, doubts, looks for extenuating circumstances or even completely separates the artist from the man“, confirme Amélie Boukhobza.

A way, ultimately, for our brain to preserve its psychological balance…

The halo effect: when talent becomes a free pass

The other explanatory avenue is the halo effect. “Admiration plays an important role here. Because admiring someone often means unconsciously attributing more qualities to them than they really possess.“, indicates the expert.

Concretely, when a person is talented, attractive or socially admired, we tend to spontaneously attribute other qualities to them, particularly moral ones.

“As if success became a proof of virtue“, continues the psychologist. “While this is obviously not the case. Talent does not protect against errors, mistakes, or sometimes reprehensible behavior. Neither does beauty. No more than desirability“, recalls the specialist.

Of course, this mechanism is even stronger when the person concerned is a celebrity who has been appreciated for years.

However, no success (artistic, media, etc.) should excuse serious facts.

Why Questioning an Idol Can Be Painful

Beyond admiration, another phenomenon comes into play: identification. Because we are not always content with appreciating certain personalities: we can also recognize ourselves in them, draw inspiration from their journey or integrate them into our own life story.

“In other words, recognizing that a personality we love may have exhibited problematic behaviors here forces us to re-examine part of our own history.“,
observe Amélie Boukhobza.

We then risk being disappointed, angry, or even depressed.

“Admitting that an idol disappoints us can give the impression of losing a point of reference, an illusion, perhaps even a part of oneself“, confirms the psychologist.

Can we love a work while facing the facts?

This is often where things get complicated. But for Amélie Boukhobza, it is not necessarily necessary to choose between total admiration and absolute rejection.

“The difficulty is perhaps finding a correct position. Accept that a work has counted. Recognize what an artist has brought to us. While remaining able to lucidly look at the facts with which he is accused“, estimates the expert.

A posture which requires two realities to coexist: the value of a work and the sometimes problematic behavior of its author.

Ultimately, defending a celebrity in question is not necessarily a question of bad faith. Often, this simply reflects an attachment to a public figure. Understanding this mechanism already allows us to take a step back from our own reactions.

“Because admiration does not require blindness. And disappointment doesn’t necessarily erase everything that came before“, concludes Amélie Boukhobza.