French singer and actor Patrick Bruel, one of France's best-selling recording artists, has cancelled his 35-date autumn tour, bowing to weeks of pressure from politicians, mayors and feminist groups following allegations of sexual assault and rape against him. Lawyers representing the accusers called the decision a "power signal" showing that women are "at last being heard."
The 67-year-old former 1990s heartthrob announced the cancellation in an Instagram post on Tuesday, framing it as a "choice of appeasement" rather than an admission of guilt. He denies the allegations against him. In his Instagram post, the singer insists that this decision "in no way means [he] is giving up on defending [himself]." "But I realise that today, this tour has become something else. It has become the embodiment of a debate that goes beyond it," he adds.
"I refuse to let the public and the teams to be drawn into a debate that has no place in a concert hall," he said, adding, "And most of all, I refuse to expose them to the slightest risk." The decision does not mean he gave up defending himself, he said.
The singer had been placed in June under formal investigation for rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, and harassment from 2008 to 2019 after spending two days in police custody. To date, Bruel has been placed under formal investigation in four cases – notably for rape and attempted rape – and has been granted the more favorable status of "assisted witness" in four others. Although taken into police custody and placed under formal investigation in early June, the singer was not jailed; instead, he was subject to judicial supervision that did not prohibit him from performing on stage. Bruel has consistently denied all of the accusations, calling them "false." "I will fight to have my innocence recognised," he wrote on Instagram.
Background and legal cases
The allegations first came to public attention following an investigation published by website Mediapart in March, based on testimony of eight women regarding events from 1991 to 2019. Several of Bruel's concerts were cancelled in May and June, including in Montreal, Canada, while Bruel himself decided against performing at the summer festivals where he had been scheduled to appear. The final performances of the play he was starring in in Paris were also cancelled.
Bruel acknowledged the support of his fans who had hoped to see him celebrate the 35th anniversary of his hit album "Alors regarde", which sold over three million copies. He is the latest high-profile French figure to face investigators in the wake of the #MeToo movement, after film star Gerard Depardieu was handed a suspended 18-month prison sentence last year for sexually assaulting two women on a film set.
Reactions from lawyers and activists
Following Bruel's announcement, lawyer Jade Dousselin, who represents several complainants, expressed her "great relief." Lawyer Corinne Herrmann told Franceinfo the decision was a powerful signal and a turning point. Herrmann represents television presenter Flavie Flament, who filed a civil-party complaint in Paris in May accusing Bruel of raping her in 1991 when she was 16. The collective NousToutes hailed the outcome a "massive feminist mobilisation" and deemed the tour "indecent, an insult to the victims" of sexual assault.
Reactions from politicians and mayors
The mayors of the cities where Bruel was scheduled to perform expressed their relief after the cancellation. Strasbourg Mayor Catherine Trautmann welcomed the cancellation, saying that women who have had the courage to come forward must be able to count on listening and support. Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, mayor of Rouen, said it was "better late than never" and called for the justice system to be allowed to take its course calmly. Ladislas Vergne, mayor of Chartres, said that with the cancellation, the voices of victims of sexist and sexual violence have been valued and the justice system can do its job. Aurore Bergé, the Minister for Gender Equality, stated that she has "taken note" of the decision.