It's a pop group born in 2012 and composed of six musicians. Among them, the singer Flore Benguigui joined them in 2015. After three albums, a nomination for the Victoires de la Musique in 2022 in the “Female Revelation” category, the 32-year-old young woman has slammed the door. On September 27, 2024, she announced the news on Instagram, evoking “the fruit of long and painful reflection“. Also in question? “deep personal and artistic disagreements” with the other members of the group as they were all preparing to leave for an international tour entitled Pulsar.
But behind these “disagreements” another reality was hidden. Indeed, Flore delivered an interview with our colleagues from Médiapart. A video broadcast this Sunday, November 24 and in which she throws it all away. She there lifts the veil on the real reasons for his departure. The singer and songwriter points the finger at the five other members of the group. She accuses them of psychological violence, humiliation and pressure for several years.
“I was always told that I was a bad singer, that I sang out of tunenot strong enough“explains the pretty blonde.”I got to a point where I told myself that I didn't deserve to be therethat I did not deserve the success of The Empress, to do all these tours all over the world and that on the contrary, I deserved to be treated like that, to be belittled” she adds in disappointment. Then, Flore ended up saying more about the inappropriate behavior of certain members of the troupe.
Flore Benguigui: what does she blame the boys in the group?
In addition to the humiliations, the artist says that relationships with the other members alternated come in”love bombing“ (intense display of love or affection, editor’s note) and humiliations. “They could yell at me in front of the other members of the group (…) Once, one of the members of the group was physically threatening towards me and it almost went quite far” says the former pop singer who claims to have been “completely under the influence” for many years.
Result: Flore Benguigui ended up losing her voice and says that “in depression and on anxiolytics“she was forced to hide behind recorded vocals during concerts. Faced with this, she assures that at no time did the group attempt to “question oneself“. A group that responded to Médiapart following these accusations and ensures to discover “the seriousness of the facts and feelings shared“. Saddened by the situation, they assure that the “situations described by Flore do not correspond to the reality of the facts“.
Finally, the members of the group conclude their response with these words: “If the investment and attention we have given it has not been enough, we can only regret it. In any case, we wish him all the best for the future“. A very meager answer, no doubt, for Flore Benguigui who perhaps expected an apology. This one which, since her departure, has been replaced by the singer Louve.
