An investigation into aggravated public insults was opened in Paris after a complaint filed by host Arthur, at the heart of a controversy following the broadcast of a video where he is seen kissing a woman by surprise, said the prosecution, requested by the AFP.
The investigations focus on “comments posted during the online campaign against him“, specified the public prosecutor.
“Sexist behavior”
The video, initially published in December by the Luxembourg feminist media “L’effrontée” on Instagram, denounced “sexist behavior” by the host at the helm of the game show “Take it or leave it” on TF1 in the 2000s.
We can notably see Arthur kissing a candidate by surprise or saying in the ear of another: “I always liked women who resisted me” or “The more you resist me, the more I will tame you“.
Questioned by Le Parisien, the host had invoked at the end of December “another era“. “I was quite close to the candidates“, he declared, conceding that “today, we could no longer animate in the same way“.
These extracts circulated widely on social networks, sometimes leading to anti-Semitic messages against the host-producer, such as “the Jew risks nothing in France, he can afford everything“.
He filed a complaint in December and the National Center for the Fight against Online Hate (PNLH) opened an investigation for aggravated public insults.by a discriminatory reason linked to religion“, entrusted to the Personal Crime Suppression Brigade (BRDP).
His lawyer, Jade Dousselin, denounced to the AFP a “slanderous cyberharassment, organized to affect image and security” by Arthur, Jacques Essebag, his real name.
The latter had also filed a complaint for infringement of the representation of the person by video editing.
“His security has been reinforced”
He also filed a civil suit to ask the social network
A hearing scheduled for Wednesday on the subject was postponed until February 18.
The host also assigned the Meta group (Facebook, Instagram, etc.), according to a source close to the matter.
“Since this digital raid, he and his family have been under serious threat, his security has been reinforced“, Arthur’s entourage assured AFP.
In November 2023, the host had already mentioned a strengthening of his protection since the bloody Hamas attack in Israel on October 7.
