Patrick Benguigui (French: [patʁik bɛnɡiɡi]; born 14 May 1959), better known by his stage name Patrick Bruel (French: [patʁik bʁyɛl]), is a French singer-songwriter, actor, and professional poker player.
In mid-2026, multiple women came forward to accuse him of sexual assault and rape, including on underage girls. In June 2026, he was taken into custody following an investigation by prosecutors.
Patrick Benguigui was born on 14 May 1959 in Tlemcen, Algeria, into a family of Algerian Sephardic Jewish origin. His parents separated in 1960, and he was raised by his mother. Together, the two emigrated to France in June 1962 just before Algerian independence. He lived in the staff accommodation of the girls' school in Argenteuil where his mother was a teacher.
In his youth, Bruel aspired to be a football player, but decided instead to pursue singing after seeing Michel Sardou in 1975.
His first success came as an actor, in 1979's Le Coup de sirocco. He continued acting in films, on television, and in the theatre while pursuing his singing career. His first single, "Vide" ("Empty"), released in 1982, was not a success, but the follow-up, "Marre de cette nana-là" ("Fed up with that chick"), was a hit.
In 2002, Bruel released Entre Deux, a double CD of classic chanson that features duets with Charles Aznavour, Jean-Louis Aubert, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Alain Souchon, and Renaud, among others. It sold two million copies and made Bruel France's best paid singer of the year. At the beginning of 2005, in response to the South Asian tsunami of 26 December 2004, Bruel wrote the song "Et puis la terre" with Marie-Florence Gros, with whom he had begun a long-term collaboration in 1998, to benefit the Red Cross. His album "Des souvenirs devant", was his fourth chart-topper in France.
Bruel is a world-class professional poker player. He won a World Series of Poker bracelet in 1998 for the $5,000 Limit Hold'em event. As of 2009, he had earned more than $900,000 in tournament play, of which his ten cash winnings at the WSOP accounted for $411,659.
He also comments on the World Poker Tour in France.
World Series of Poker bracelet
In 2003, just before his partner, the writer and playwright Amanda Sthers, gave birth to his first child, he changed his name to Bruel-Benguigui, combining his stage name with his birth name. On 21 September 2004, he wed Sthers. They had another child 2005, but separated in 2007.
In the 2010s, Bruel bought a house in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. In January 2025, the house was destroyed by the Palisades Fire.
In March 2026, he was accused of rape and sexual assault by around thirty women in France and in Belgium. The following month, prosecutors began reviewing approximately 10 formal complaints, which include charges of rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault. As a result, Bruel cancelled most of his public performances. On 8 June 2026, Bruel was taken into custody following allegations of attempted sexual assault and rape against 13 women dating to 1997.
Bruel had been a member of the Les Enfoirés charity ensemble since 1993 until his departure in 2026 due to the numerous allegations of sexual assault and rape against him.
Featured in and collective collaborations
Biography of Patrick Bruel, from Radio France Internationale