French singer-actor Patrick Bruel is detained by police after several women accuse him of rape and sex crimes

By JAKE HOLDEN, UK NEWS REPORTER Published: 18:35, 8 June 2026 | Updated: 18:38, 8 June 2026 French singer and actor Patrick Bruel has been arrested after 13 women accused him of historical rapes and sex crimes. Bruel was taken into police custody after more than 30 women came forward and claimed he had sexually assaulted them. The 67-year-old is now under investigation for allegations of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and harassment against 13 of those women, the Nanterre prosecutor's office said. The alleged incidents are said to have taken place from 1997 to 2012 in France and Belgium. Three women accuse him of rape between 1997 and 2001. The investigation will also probe 'acts of rape or attempted rape, sexual assault and harassment' reported by other women as well. Bruel, one of France's best-selling musicians, has denied any wrongdoing. Authorities are able to hold him for 24 hours for questioning, which can be renewed one time. Bruel wrote in a social media post last month: 'I have never forced a woman. I have never drugged, manipulated or looked for anyone to submit.'  French singer and actor Patrick Bruel, 67, is being investigated for allegations of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and harassment by 13 women after 30 alleged victims came forward to police Accusations of sexual assault first emerged when television presenter and journalist Flavie Flament took to French television and publicly accused Bruel of drugging and raping her in Paris when she was 16 in 1991 He added: 'Nor have I ever drugged, manipulated or tried to subjugate anyone… nor used my fame to abuse or obtain non-consensual relations,'  He continued: 'If I hurt anyone, I sincerely regret it.' Bruel's legal team said he would 'answer all of the investigators' questions and provide all the necessary evidence to demonstrate his innocence', following the artist's arrest this morning. He has since cancelled most of his international tour this summer, which was due to start this month across France, Switzerland, Belgium and Canada. Last week, the Édouard VII Theatre in Paris also cancelled the final five days of a play he was starring in after enraged protestors demanded the show be pulled. Allegations against Bruel started to emerge last month when television presenter and journalist Flavie Flament publicly accused the singer of rape on French television last month. She claimed he drugged and raped her in a flat in Paris when she was 16 and he was 32 in 1991. Flament wrote on social media: 'I have another date with my past. And with a man who plundered my adolescence. 'I am filing a complaint against Patrick Bruel for rape. So that the truth comes out, so that justice is served.' She alleged that Bruel offered her a cup of tea before she 'blacked out'. The presenter claimed that she then 'woke up hallucinating' while he was allegedly 'putting her pants back on and buttoning them up' before dropping her off at a hotel near Saint-Lazare train station. Bruel's lawyer Christophe Ingrain said last month that the pop star had a brief 'totally consensual' encounter with Ms Flament in the early nineties, but denied he drugged or raped her, alleging her story was made up. Protestors demanded the play Bruel was starring in at the Édouard VII Theatre in Paris was cancelled due to the allegations. Bruel denies any wrongdoing. (placard reads Bruel = rapist) 'Patrick Bruel is very clear: he never forced himself on or drugged Flavie Flament. There was no rape,' Mr Ingrain told BFMTV. 'They were two people who liked each other and might from time to time have sex when they met,' he added. Ms Flament immediately denied this was the case however, and said, 'I never had any relationship of any kind with Patrick Bruel.' Prosecutors said they would not be questioning the singer about Ms Flament's claims. Last month, the prosecutor's office said that the investigation would include a case that was initially dropped in 2020 due to a lack of evidence and two separate allegations in Brittany, in the town of Saint-Mâlo, and in Belgium. Born Patrick Benguigui in Algeria in 1959, Bruel rose to fame in the 1980s with hits like Marre de cette nana-là (Had enough of that chick). He became a sex icon and the subject of public obsession that became known as Bruelmania. The allegations against him have been extremely high-profile and made French headlines for the past month. French government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon previously said female victims should be encouraged to speak out 'even decades later', adding 'it is then up to the justice system to establish the truth of the facts'. In 2016, Ms Flament was one of the first women to accuse British nude photographer David Hamilton of rape - exposing exploitation by influential men. She claimed he raped her at the age of 13 on the French Riviera. Hamilton took his own life after other accounts backed up her accusation. The case led to a change in the law, increasing jail time for child sex crimes from 20 to 30 years. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. 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