Patrick Bruel placed in police custody amid multiple sexual assault investigations
On 8 June 2026, French singer‑actor Patrick Bruel was taken into police custody in Paris as part of a criminal investigation into alleged sexual assaults. The Nanterre prosecutor’s office said the inquiry involves 13 presumed victims, including three women who accuse Bruel of sexual assault and attempted rape between 1997 and 2001. Additional complaints from France and Belgium allege rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, harassment and other violent conduct, with cases ranging from Acapulco (1997) to Monaco (2000) and Brussels (2010). Two new rape complaints were filed on 27 May and 3 June 2026. Bruel has denied all accusations; his lawyers state he will answer investigators and provide evidence of his innocence. Following the arrests, Bruel cancelled the bulk of his summer tour, withdrew from several festivals and from the charitable group Les Enfoirés, and faced protests at some of his performances. The case has sparked a wider debate on sexual‑violence allegations in the French entertainment industry.