Patrick Poivre d’Arvor has gone from being a JT star to being an outcast. For several months, the 74-year-old journalist has been accused by several women of sexual assault and rape. Testimonies having for some led to complaints. The speeches follow one another and resemble each other: Patrick Poivre d’Arvor asked to meet young TF1 recruits in his office or created links with his supposed victims by inviting them to lunch. Proposals received by Valérie Bénaïm. In Do not touch My TV this Monday, May 2, the companion of Patrice returned to these moments lived with the journalist, far from being the nightmare of his supposed victims.
Before belonging to the C8 family, Valérie Bénaïm went through the TF1 box: “I was at TF1 in 98 with Benjamin (Castaldi, editor’s note) until 2010. I have one of Patrick Poivre d’Arvor’s assistants who, when preparing for the transition to the year 2000, called me because I had attended the first editorial conference to prepare this transition to the year 2000. And following this first meeting where I discovered the great PPDA, I am a young journalist, I am coming from entertainment and more so I am flattered! After that, I’m in my car, back from the meeting, I get a phone call from this assistant who tells me : ‘Patrick would like to have lunch with you’. Me, I’m flattered and at no time am I warned or told: ‘Be careful, it’s dangerous!‘”
Valérie Bénaïm has not had to deal with the predator described so far, even if she felt a few attempts to flirt with her: “On the other hand, what I am told is : ‘Ah yes, he’s flirting with you too.’ He’s flirting with you ! So good very well, if he flirts with me eventually I reject his advances. And indeed, we had lunch twice, and both times he was charming. Charming too but I never felt in danger.”
Frédérique Lantieri did not feel any particular danger either. Like Valérie Bénaïm, the journalist shared lunches with PPDA before he started to get more insistent: “He was making a little more pronounced advances to me. I declined very simply and it ended there“, she confided in Further investigation. Life resumed its course as if nothing had happened. At least that’s what she believed until the journalist humiliated her in front of the entire team of a PPDA show she was also working on: “Suddenly, he sees me. Very loudly in front of everyone, he said to my editor: ‘What the hell is she doing there? Did you take it? We didn’t want her!“A taste of revenge for the one who remains convinced that PPDA did not like her”declines his offer.“
PPDA remains presumed innocent of the charges until the final judgment of this case.