Patrick Bruel in police custody over sexual assault

French singer and actor Patrick Bruel is in police custody near Paris, facing questioning over allegations of sexual assault and assault from at least 13 women. The 67-year-old entertainer, a major figure in French popular culture for decades, was taken into custody on Monday, June 8, and will be held until Wednesday morning, according to the Nanterre prosecutor's office.

The investigation, now consolidated under the Nanterre jurisdiction, began with complaints from three women alleging incidents in 1997, 2000, and 2001. During the inquiry, prosecutors identified and interviewed additional women, leading to a broader set of allegations spanning from 1991 to 2012. These include reports of assault, attempted assault, sexual assault, and harassment. Two new complaints were filed on May 27 and June 3, according to the complainants' lawyer.

Specific allegations detailed in the complaints include an incident in Acapulco in 1997, an attempted assault in Monaco in 2000, and two alleged sexual assaults in 2002 and 2003 involving an employee of Bruel's record label. Other complaints reference events in 2008 in Metz and an alleged assault in 2012 in Dinard. Belgian authorities have also...