French singer and actor Patrick Bruel, who has spent decades charming audiences with his top-selling albums and over 40 film appearances, is now charming police investigators instead. The 67-year-old was taken into custody on Monday as two new rape complaints were filed against him, bringing the total number of victims he's being questioned about to 13, according to the prosecutor's office in the western Paris suburb of Nanterre.
Three women have accused Bruel of sexual assault and attempted rape dating back to 1997, 2000, and 2001, prosecutors said, while other victims have reported sexual assaults, harassment, and rapes that are also under investigation. The two latest rape complaints were filed on 27 May and 3 June, their lawyer told Agence France-Presse on Monday.
Police can hold Bruel for questioning for up to 48 hours. He denies all allegations, and his lawyers said in a statement he would "answer all the investigators' questions and will provide all the elements necessary to demonstrate his innocence." In a move that suggests his schedule might not be as packed as planned, he has canceled most of his upcoming tour, which was supposed to start in Paris this month.
Bruel joins a growing list of French movie and music celebrities facing sexual assault claims, including film legend Gérard Depardieu, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison last year (his appeal is set for November). It seems the French entertainment industry's casting couch has a few more skeletons than previously advertised.