"What we're saying is serious...": why is Nicolas Bedos' appearance on "Quelle époque!" on France 2 causing so much controversy?
The editorial staff Published on 05/07/2025 at 5:20 p.m., updated on 05/07/2025 at 5:20 p.m.
Nicolas Bedos' return to the set of Quelle époque! on Saturday, May 3, to promote his book La Soif de honte (The Thirst for Shame ), sparked one of the most heated controversies of the post-#MeToo era in France.
Sentenced in October 2024 to one year in prison , including six months under electronic monitoring, for sexual assault on two women, the director had kept a low profile since his conviction.
His arrival on France 2, at the invitation of Léa Salamé, even sparked numerous debates beforehand .
The journalist admitted to having "hesitated for a long time" about giving him the floor , explaining live on air: "We have read this book, we have read The Thirst for Shame , we have to recognize that you say things... It is not a book of complaint or victimization."
But it was the intervention of Paul de Saint-Sernin, columnist and comedian of the show , which crystallized the controversy by making the rounds on social networks.
Sitting in the audience, he said to her: "All the money raised from the sale of this book will be donated to a victims' association. You don't know that, I just decided."
Faced with the director's palpable irritation, he continued: "It's a way of showing you that consent is important . I decide that the money is donated to this association, without asking your opinion."
The audience then applauded, but Nicolas Bedos, visibly destabilized , immediately retorted: " What we're saying is serious..."
"The money raised from the sale of the book will be donated to a victims' association. I've just decided... It's to show you that consent is important."
Paul de Saint Sernin tackles Nicolas Bedos, convicted of sexual assault. pic.twitter.com/92nacrubrN
The sequence, viewed millions of times on social networks, is divisive .
Some are welcoming the "lesson in consent" given to the director, while others are already denouncing a "lynching" or media exploitation of comedian Paul de Saint-Sernin.
On the France 2 set, the guests were divided: actress Anny Duperey pleaded for a pardon , welcoming the author's recognition of the facts, while Louis Sarkozy, also a guest, praised his courage, while remaining very cautious.
In the aftermath, the family of Guy Bedos's son spoke out. His sister Victoria offered her support , while advising him to "keep himself in the background" in the face of the harsh criticism surrounding the promotion of his book.
On Instagram , the director then tried to justify his approach : "I recognized my mistakes, accepted my pain. Today, I'm telling my story. Not to justify myself, but to try to understand what led me to this fall."
"Where are the victims?" many feminist activists lamented on social media, preferring to be invited onto the set rather than the perpetrator. This, despite the fact that he has served his sentence.
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