On the day after three concerts in Quebec were canceled, pressure is now rising in France. On May 20, the mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, stated on France 2 that Patrick Bruel, who is facing multiple investigations for sexual assault, would be better off suspending his own career. “The presumption of innocence must be guaranteed, but including for the serenity of his defense, I think indeed he should step back,” he declared, although he refused to demand the show be banned. A petition supported by feminist associations, already with over 22,000 signatures, also calls for the cancellation of his concerts. Without explicitly requesting the cancellation of the performances, the Minister for Gender Equality, Aurore Bergé, also took a stance. She stated on RTL that the decision ultimately belongs to the artist himself: “It’s a decision that belongs to him, and not to me or to you. It’s up to him to decide if he wants to continue to be on stage.”
Nancy, Marseille… Rumbling around Patrick Bruel In Nancy, where Patrick Bruel is scheduled to perform in late October at the Zénith, Mayor Mathieu Klein also raised his voice. On Facebook, the official got straight to the point: “This does not seem compatible with the continuation of an artistic activity involving public performances. I don’t see how Patrick Bruel’s concerts could take place, in Nancy or elsewhere, and I count on the organizers’ discernment to suspend his tour.” Similar sentiments from the Mayor of Marseille, where a concert is planned for October 30. Speaking to France Info, Mayor Benoît Payan mentioned “the seriousness of the accusations brought against Patrick Bruel by numerous women” and asked the singer “not to maintain his concert.” The official, however, stressed the importance of letting justice “serenely do its job,” while noting that the current situation does not allow for these performances to take place.
A call for “sense of responsibility” In Brest, Mayor Stéphane Roudaut expressed that Patrick Bruel “should have the decency, without delay, to step back while the cases against him are being judged,” while acknowledging that he does not have the power to cancel the concert scheduled for November 11. From Saint-Étienne, Mayor Régis Juanico also called on May 21 for “Mr. Bruel’s sense of responsibility” to renounce his planned appearance on November 20, wishing to “consider the presumed victims.” Beyond the mayors, other voices are also rising. The President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet confessed on France Inter that personally, it seemed “obvious” to her that she would not attend his concerts, urging to “let justice do its job.” Meanwhile, Flavie Flament’s lawyer, who accuses the singer of rape when she was a minor, announced that new complaints should be filed in the coming days. These are accusations that Patrick Bruel strongly denies. To be continued.
