French actor and singer Patrick Bruel appeared before investigating judges in Paris on Wednesday for questioning related to alleged acts of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment involving nine victims, committed between 2010 and 2019.
Bruel has been in police detention since Monday for questioning. In a statement on Wednesday, the Nanterre prosecutor’s office said it has requested that the star remain in custody ahead of a possible trial. After the hearing, the court will rule on whether to file official charges against Bruel.
Though not an international star, Bruel is a household name in France, with dozens of television and film credits, including What’s in a Name? (2012) and The Best Is Yet to Come (2019) as well as several chart-topping albums as a singer.
The allegations against him came to light following an in-depth report by French investigative news website Mediapart in which eight women came forward to accuse Bruel of sexual violence against them. One of his accusers is Daniela Elstner, managing director of French cinema and TV export agency Unifrance, who claims Bruel sexually assaulted her in 1997 when both were attending Unifrance’s French Film Festival in Acapulco, Mexico.
