Berliner Boersenzeitung - Shana Loustau Questions Legal Validity of Complaint Against Cyril Hanouna

Chronicleur Shana Loustau addressed public concern regarding a legal complaint filed against M6 host Cyril Hanouna during a live broadcast of the talk show 'Tout beau, tout neuf' on November 3. The segment was initiated after Loustau received a message from Hanouna’s mother, Esther, who expressed deep anxiety over reports that her son might face police custody.

In the early hours of the morning, Esther had contacted her son to ask, "I can't sleep. What is this story about Ouest-France and police custody? I am worried," according to Loustau’s account on air. Touching upon the family’s distress, Loustau stated, "So tonight, we are also answering Esther, who is a worried mother. And obviously, we understand her."

The controversy stems from an October 20 incident in which Hanouna criticized an article published by Ouest-France. The publication, written by journalist Maxime Fettweis, questioned the role of politics in Hanouna’s program, 'Tout beau, tout neuf,' particularly as M6 announced plans to prioritize entertainment over political content when Hanouna moved to the W9 channel.

During the broadcast, Hanouna mocked the article and its author, referencing the ratings of a rival show, NOVO19, before inquiring about Fettweis’s professional background. "My teams have looked into this journalist," Hanouna said at the time.

Two days later, François-Xavier Lefranc, the publishing director of Ouest-France, publicly condemned the remarks as an attempt at intimidation. He stated that Fettweis had received malicious and insulting messages following the broadcast.

Subsequently, the League for the Defense of Republican Values (LDVR), an association led by Michael Bastien, filed a 38-page complaint with the Paris prosecutor’s office. The filing alleges instigated moral harassment, complicity in moral harassment, public defamation, and public insult. The LDVR requested an investigation, the questioning of several parties, and Hanouna’s placement in police custody.

Loustau challenged the legal standing of the LDVR’s action during her segment. She noted that under French law, only the alleged victim can file a complaint for defamation or public insult. "This association has no legal right in this case," Loustau asserted. "It has absolutely nothing to do with this affair. At most, it can alert the prosecutor, but it cannot act on behalf of this journalist or initiate legal action."

Loustau also raised questions about Bastien’s credibility, citing reports that he had attempted to use his association to avoid eviction by his Paris landlord. She further doubted the existence of the complaint itself, noting that Hanouna’s legal team had not received official notification.

"You have about twenty media outlets writing an article about a complaint that has no legal value and, incidentally, that your lawyer hasn't even received," Loustau said. "So we don't even know if this complaint exists today."

The broadcast highlighted the tension between media criticism and legal recourse, while clarifying the procedural limitations placed on third-party associations in defamation cases.

(T.Renner--BBZ)