Accusations against Patrick Bruel: the Paléo Festival in Switzerland will no longer “collaborate” with the singer and denounces his “unacceptable behavior” with a volunteer in 2019

The Paléo Festival, one of the largest open-air music festivals in Europe, announced on Monday May 25 that in 2019, a “unacceptable behavior” reported by a volunteer during the visit of Patrick Bruel, targeted by a wave of complaints for rape and sexual assault, ended with an agreement between the latter and the French singer. “It goes without saying that we will no longer collaborate with Patrick Bruel”also assured the organizers.

These statements follow the revelations of the TF1 show “Sept à Huit” broadcast on Sunday, according to which a volunteer masseuse from Paléo, which is held every year in Nyon, between Geneva and Lausanne, denounced the singer’s behavior during a massage. organized behind the scenes of the festival, July 28, 2019.

“The week following the festival, we were informed of unacceptable behavior by the artist towards a volunteer (…). The facts reported were serious and his testimony was taken very seriously”explained the festival in a press release. “We immediately gave him our support, in particular through a proposal for psychological and legal support”he added.

According to Paleo, “legal proceedings have been initiated” between the volunteer and Patrick Bruel, “which was concluded in 2022 by an agreement between the parties including a confidentiality clause”. The festival says it has “respecté” the volunteer’s decision, adding that“no such fact” had not been reported to them during the artist’s previous visits.

The show “Sept à Huit” ensures that the singer’s lawyer confirmed the agreement to them. “There was no gesture on the part of Patrick Bruel towards her. Conciliation was proposed by the prosecution, as is customary in Switzerland, for minor allegations. It was accepted by the complainant and by Patrick Bruel”declared his lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, in a written note read by a journalist.

The singer, who is due to launch his next tour on June 16 at the Cirque d’Hiver in Paris, then visit numerous French cities, Switzerland and Belgium, is invited by several mayors, notably those of Paris and Marseille, to give up performing in their cities, while around thirty women accuse him of sexual assault and rape in France, Belgium and Canada. Patrick Bruel contests all of the facts with which he is accused. Three concerts by the singer, planned for December in Quebec, were canceled.