Since the revelation of several accusations of rape and sexual assault targeting Patrick Bruel, discussions have become heated on social networks, between unwavering supporters and those who distance themselves.
Muriel had purchased her tickets for Patrick Bruel’s tour months in advance. But now, it is impossible for this Belgian fan to imagine attending the singer’s concert, targeted by at least twelve complaints for rape and sexual assault in France and Belgium, including one from the host Flavie Flament.
“He was coming to Bastogne, my town, so it was the perfect opportunity, I bought three tickets to go and my husband also gave me two tickets for Valentine’s Day to go see him in Rennes,” she says.
“Sad” and “disappointed”, Muriel therefore decided to resell her tickets for the singer’s concerts. “I honestly believed in Patrick Bruel,” assures the ex-Belgian fan. “He’s a singer who has committed lyrics. I didn’t imagine that would be possible on his part. My feeling is a great disappointment. It spoils the pleasure of listening to his lyrics,” she says.
A broken trust
If Patrick Bruel contests the entirety of the facts with which he is accused, faced with the multiplication of accusations, many early fans like Muriel, did not hesitate to give up the singer’s concerts, whose tour is due to begin on June 16.
Vanessa*, who has followed Patrick Bruel since the 1990s and was due to attend his concert in Lille in October, posted an ad on Facebook to resell her tickets as soon as the first accusations were revealed.
“I have two daughters aged 17 and 20 and I try to instill in them values, sisterhood, to always support each other among women, so it was impossible for me to go and cheer Patrick Bruel, knowing that the victims are some of the age of my daughters,” she explains.
Others are in a painful in-between. Originally from Montpellier, Alexandra, 56, put her tickets on sale for the Palavas-les-Flots concert. But this fan, who met the singer in 1987, had also reserved “before it exploded” tickets for his play at the Édouard VII theater in Paris.
The Montpellier woman still attended the play to accompany her mother, but did not hide her discomfort. “I can tell you that I wasn’t comfortable. In the front row, there were fans who, as soon as the curtain came down, stood up like crazy to applaud him. It made me think of a guru,” she confides.
“A flirt, but not a rapist”
If some of Patrick Bruel’s fans have chosen to turn their backs on the artist, for others there is no question of calling into question their support for their lifelong idol. Francesca, 47, who has followed the singer since childhood, will be very present in the audience of his concert in Reims.
“Yes, he’s a flirt, but not a rapist,” says Francesca, brushing aside the accusations against the singer that she considers “100% false.” “I may be selfish or blind but I don’t want him to stop his tour,” she continues, denouncing a “conspiracy”. “They want to destroy him. First his hotel, his play, and now his tour.”
Administrator of a Patrick Bruel fan group on Facebook, Rose-Marie* also kept the singer’s four concert dates in her diary. “I support him because he has done a lot for me, even if he doesn’t know it,” she confides. “I was shocked that he could be accused like that.”
Nathalie, a fan from Guéret, is just as categorical.
“For me, he is innocent. When you see him, he is a respectful man, close to his fans, who always maintains his distance.”
In their justifications, all invoke the presumption of innocence. “He was not heard, let alone judged,” insists Francesca. “And, if he is accused, I will be stunned, but I will always be there. I will continue to follow Bruel until my last breath,” she assures.
On the resale of tickets, the fan is nevertheless more measured: “they have the right to resell them, if they have a doubt, so much the better for those who don’t have any. But I find that a real shame.” Nathalie is less conciliatory: “They are not real fans. When we see them reselling their tickets, we have the impression that they are condemning him.”
A divide that is festering on social networks
In the community of Patrick Bruel’s fans, these accusations of rape and sexual assault have caused a deep divide and, on social networks, exchanges between supporters and detractors often turn into fistfights.
On her Facebook post, posted online on May 21 in a group of Patrick Bruel fans to resell her tickets for the Palavas-les-Flots concert, Alexandra paid the price. Her message generated nearly 900 comments, praising her choice or calling her a “fake fan”, a “sheep”, and much worse.
“It’s like (that) you support him, well, the so-called fans are beautiful,” asserts a user in the comments. “The rats are leaving the ship,” adds another. “I would not have liked to have had you as a neighbor during the war. He has not yet been judged,” adds a third. “Poor bitch, I hope this stays with you,” we can also read in the comments.
“When I saw all these comments, I said to myself: but this is crazy,” says Alexandra. “I think what divides is the difference between people, who are certainly admiring and fans, but who have perspective and those who, even if Bruel killed his mother, would defend him body and soul.”
After sharing an article on Facebook, in connection with the Bruel affair, on the difficulty of rape victims in speaking out, Muriel also found herself overwhelmed with hostile comments from former “friends”. “I had incredible reactions of hatred. It shocked me, I withdrew the article,” she remembers.
“Ask yourself questions and continue to remain a fan, at the limit, I can hear it, but to become so aggressive and defend it at all costs towards other fans, I don’t understand how we can get there,” adds Muriel.
“Denial protects us from a reality we don’t want to see”
How can we then explain these clear-cut, and sometimes so virulent, reactions? For psychologist Caroline Legendre, co-author of the book These men among us, treating perpetrators of sexual violenceeverything is based on the notion of fanaticism.
“Fans are people who are in something very passionate about their idol. There is a kind of individual imaginary relationship that is established between the person and the star,” the specialist analyzes for BFM.
But, sometimes, the relationship is so strong that it becomes difficult to question, especially when the accused person is “in a position of authority”, as can be the case for celebrities. “Certain fans will remain in this idealization, even if it means being in denial of the possible reality,” continues Caroline Legendre.
Admitting the possible guilt of one’s beloved artist would therefore amount to accepting the collapse of a figure who has often played an important role in the lives of these fans. A questioning that is sometimes too difficult for some.
“Denial protects us from a reality that we don’t want to see because it’s extremely disappointing. Continuing to support a celebrity therefore also means refusing to be confronted with something unthinkable, unbearable,” explains the psychologist.
But for fans who, on the contrary, have distanced themselves from Patrick Bruel, the break is just as radical and comes, according to Caroline Legendre, from the same passionate impulse. “It’s a bit of love-hate,” says the specialist. “There is a reversal from passionate love towards total rejection, fueled by a feeling of disappointment and betrayal.”
“Respecting everyone’s choice is a minimum”
According to Caroline Legendre, the divide between Patrick Bruel’s fans is also generational. Since the MeToo movement, the specialist has noted an “evolution in the importance given to the words of victims”, and with it, a new perspective on behavior previously tolerated in silence.
“At the time, there was a kind of global permissiveness where many things were completely accepted, without realizing the impact of these behaviors on the victims. We didn’t even talk about sexual violence for certain things,” says Caroline Legendre.
It is precisely this change of outlook that divides Patrick Bruel’s fans today. A former fan of the artist, Véronique*, a victim of rape in the past and who took almost 30 years before speaking about it, expresses her incomprehension regarding the behavior of certain fans regarding the accusations against Patrick Bruel.
“I think there are limits, and particularly as a woman, to support and defend this guy. There, people are crazy. Women accuse other women of lying,” she says.
“I find it crazy to be so blind,” says another ex-fan, Vanessa*. “I understand that there is the presumption of innocence, but there is also the instinct for protection. I think that everyone is free to do what they want but respecting everyone’s choice is a minimum.”
*First names have been changed at the request of those interviewed.
