Since last November, the flagship host of the radio station NRJ, Sébastien Cauet, has been going through a tumultuous period. The affair began with testimonies on social networks accusing him of sexual violence. The situation took an official turn on November 22, 2023 when the first complaint was filed. In reaction, NRJ decided to remove the host from the airwaves, by “mutual agreement”.
However, Cauet’s troubles did not end there. The last complaint was filed on February 8, where the complainant denounces acts of sexual assault and rape which allegedly took place in the 1990s.
A request for reinstatement preceding legal action:
Cauet had initially requested his reinstatement last January, before turning around on March 18, 2024. Accusing NRJ of having precipitated the events instead of facing the accusations, he took legal action against the radio in court of commerce of Paris.
Cauet is demanding compensation from NRJ which removed him from the air: “Despite the presumption of innocence, you sank the boat!”
He alleged that the contract linking NRJ to his production company, Be Aware, had been wrongfully terminated. At the same time, he requested compensation, explaining that he had been deprived of income for several months and had had to lay off his team of 24 people. He demanded more than 4.4 million euros but the court rejected his request, as BFM TV announced on Tuesday, considering that the contracts had become void following the accusations made against him.
For the host’s lawyer, Frédéric Lamoureux, it is a real disappointment. “We obviously cannot be satisfied with this decision which calls into question the legal principle of the obligatory force of contracts which would thus find itself destroyed by a media storm unrelated to the contractual relationship concerned, a media storm which is not based on any established reality, “ he explained again on the microphone of our colleagues at BFM TV, adding that he would consider appealing this decision.
