Investigation Closed Without Charges
An investigation opened in Pau following allegations of rape against writer Frédéric Beigbeder has been closed due to “a lack of serious or consistent evidence,” according to the Pau prosecutor’s office. A woman had filed a complaint on July 23, 2023, at the Pau police station against the novelist, accusing him of rape allegedly committed on the night of July 18 to 19 of the same year in a hotel room. During questioning on December 12, the writer denied the allegations. In the preliminary investigation opened by the prosecutor’s office, all witnesses who could shed light on the events were interviewed, stated the Pau public prosecutor, Rodolphe Jarry, in a press release. Following the investigations, it was deemed “not possible to prove the alleged rape happened, described as having taken place behind closed doors.” As the offense was deemed “insufficiently characterized,” the case was closed without charges.
Frédéric Beigbeder’s Background and Controversies
Frédéric Beigbeder, known as a television and radio commentator, literary critic, publisher, comic book and film writer, actor, and even director, achieved success with “99 Francs” in 2000, revealing the pitfalls – cocaine, cynicism, and money – of the advertising world. Amid the MeToo movement, the former editor-in-chief of Lui magazine received criticism for his lack of action in the PPDA case, as well as his support for Roman Polanski, labeling the critics as a “pack of hyenas” at the 2020 César Awards. Additionally, he faced backlash for his delayed condemnation of his “friend” Gabriel Matzneff, accused of sexually assaulting minors. In 2008, Beigbeder was arrested in Paris for cocaine possession and consumption. He later renounced his actions in June 2022 in an article for L’Obs, stating he had bid farewell to cocaine, considering it a drug for “old has-beens,” and now writes with clarity and sobriety. Recently, he claimed to have completely transformed his life in Guéthary, where he has been residing since 2017 with his third wife, Lara Micheli, a photographer, and their two young children.
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