This Friday, November 1 in Cannes, Slimane received the French-speaking Male Artist of the Year award. Accused of sexual harassment, the singer was not welcomed with open arms by the artists present backstage.
For this 26th edition of NRJ Music Awardsthe singer Slimane was nominated in the categories of French-speaking male artist of the year and French-speaking song of the year with his title My love. A song that everyone knows, since it is the one he performed at Eurovision 2024 and which allowed him to reach fourth place on the podium. But this Friday, November 1st in Cannes, it was not at all a joyous time for Esmeralda's father.
Two days earlier, The Parisian revealed that a complaint for sexual harassment was filed against him by a technician from his Cupid Tour. The facts allegedly occurred on December 17, 2023, at the end of his concert in Saint-Etienne. Slimane would have made advances to this man, who would have clearly expressed his refusal. According to the complainant, the singer continued by sending him sexual SMS messages. Faced with this affair, Slimane preferred to remain silent for the moment.
NMA 2024: how did the artists behind the scenes react to the victory of Slimane, crowned French-speaking male artist of the year?
But this Friday, November 1 in Cannes, after performing the title for which he was nominated, he made a point of speaking when he received the Male Artist of the Year award. Although he burst into tears upon hearing his name, the singer declared soberly: “I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart, this one has a special taste. My daughter, when you grow up, I really hope that you will be proud of your dad, I love you. Sincerely, my audience, thank you from the bottom of my heart… Thank you very much”.
As revealed The Parisian this November 2, the atmosphere was very gloomy backstage given the presence of Slimane at the evening. While an artist shared her incomprehension, the joy was not at all there when the artist, “very moved“, returned to his dressing room”surrounded by his manager and his team” after receiving his prize. “Behind the scenes, the silence is heavy, deafening. Only two people applaud very brieflyeveryone listens to the speech in which the thirty-year-old addresses his daughter, his parents but also his audience. Before resuming their evening, as if nothing had happened…”, quote our colleagues. A matter far from over.
