Detained on Monday, the famous French singer and actor Patrick Bruel was charged with rape and sexual assault, but was released under judicial supervision, avoiding the preventive arrest requested by prosecutors, according to a statement from the Nanterre Court.
The 67-year-old artist is targeted in four separate files, which include accusations of rape and attempted rape, but also acts of aggression and sexual harassment, committed in different periods and locations in France and abroad, according to AFP, quoted by News.ro.
In parallel, Patrick Bruel has the status of an assisted witness in four other similar cases, and in another, older file, the facts were classified as a result of the statute of limitations.
Court-imposed measures
The judges decided to place the artist under judicial control, imposing several restrictions on him. These include a ban on leaving France, contacting or approaching the alleged victims. At the same time, he was denied access to massage parlors.
In addition, Patrick Bruel must undergo psychological treatment and pay a bail of 500,000 euros.
The decision was taken after the prosecutors unsuccessfully requested that he be placed in preventive detention.
The singer had previously been detained for 48 hours, during which he was questioned by the judicial police in Paris.
Reactions from lawyers
The artist’s lawyers previously reported that he appeared before the court to answer the charges, but they did not make statements after the decision to place him under judicial control.
The legal representatives of some of the alleged victims consider the decision an important step. A lawyer told AFP the proceedings represented “a first victory” for the women who filed complaints.
Other plaintiffs’ lawyers criticized the delay in the investigation, pointing to the difficulty of bringing public figures to justice, even with multiple charges.
Accusations and new complaints
According to the French media, the case was brought to attention by an investigation published by Mediapart in March 2026, in which one of the plaintiffs claims that she was sexually assaulted by the artist since the 90s.
During the investigation, several female lawyers announced the filing of new complaints of rape and attempted rape, which expanded the size of the case file.
Because of the scandal, Patrick Bruel announced the cancellation of most of the concerts in the tour he was going to play this summer, both in France and abroad.
Several festivals and event organizers have already dropped his participation.
