It is a true descent into hell that the French humorist Pierre Palmade is currently experiencing. His slip and the consequences of it are terrible. But unfortunately not an isolated case. Other people go through that. But they don’t have the star status enjoyed by this crowd pleaser.
Posted at 7:15am
So, through the prism of media and social networks, this very bad film unfolds before our eyes. And it is the same filter through which Palmade’s life was sliced hour by hour with a scalpel for five days before coming under the microscope of public judgement.
For those who haven’t been following the thing, it’s worth remembering that Pierre Palmade was driving his Peugeot on a road to the south of Seine-et-Marne in France, where his second home is located. Two passengers were with him. Suddenly, his car swerved into the left lane and collided with another vehicle.
Three people in that other vehicle – a woman, her brother-in-law and his 6-year-old son – were seriously injured. The six-month pregnant woman lost her baby.
The horror !
Pierre Palmade, whose tests revealed he had used cocaine, was extricated from his vehicle using extrication techniques. He suffered multiple injuries. The two men who were with him fled immediately after the accident.
Not a day has passed since that terrible tragedy without new facts emerging. Without exception, all French media report on the details of this scandalous affair.
Pierre Palmade would have taken the wheel while partying with two men for about 24 hours. The trio engaged in a chemsex (chemical contraction and sex) session at the artist’s residence in Cély-en-Bière, eight kilometers from the scene of the accident.
This gave the French media the opportunity to multiply the reports of this practice, based on the use of narcotics during sexual intercourse.
A police search of the Palmade residence last Sunday would have made it possible to discover syringes. However, the media disagrees about the presence of drugs.
And then, curiously enough, this “burglary” happened, which happened in the night from Sunday to Monday in the comedian’s apartment. Would the star’s two ‘friends’ try to cover up their presence?
Earlier this week, Pierre Palmade’s sister told the media in a statement that her brother was expressing his “shame” and that he would bear the “consequences of his actions”. The victim’s attorney responded that the family was “insensitive to the apology.”
On Wednesday, when the actor’s condition was no longer a cause for concern, investigators conducted an interrogation. Pierre Palmade was arrested as part of an investigation into manslaughter and negligent assault.
This offense could be punished with five years imprisonment, with aggravating circumstances such as driving under the influence of perhaps seven years.
At the same time we learned that the two passengers from Palmade had turned themselves in to the police. The first, 33 years old, would be of Moroccan origin. As for the second, 34-year-old Frenchman, he would be known for narcotics-related offenses. The two men could be prosecuted for failing to assist a person in danger.
For those who don’t know Pierre Palmade, it should be noted that he is a big star in France. He has created many one man shows that have been very successful. He also wrote memorable monologues for Muriel Robin and starred in a number of comedies with his girlfriend Michèle Laroque. He also plays the bard in the film Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar (1999 production). Quebecers could also see him perform at the Just for Laughs Festival.
The one, who turns 55 on March 23, was married to Véronique Sanson from 1995 to 2001. This marriage fueled a lot of rumors because many knew the actor was gay. In 2020 he addressed the difficulty of being gay in his show Assume, Brotell.
In recent years, he has made no secret of his problems with drug use, particularly cocaine. His friends repeat that he is trying very hard to get rid of his addiction. A relative told French media this week that when he last visited Pierre Palmade, he saw syringes all over his house. The artist told him that he was “sick of life and that he was suffering”.
Pierre Palmade’s entourage now fear he will end his life.
Scary I say. But also sadness. First for the victims who almost died, for the baby that could not be born, for the mother who will not be lucky enough to hug him.
It is sad to see a man who has struggled his whole life for this hard and difficult job suffer a violent fall from which I doubt he will ever recover.
Stars inspire us, let us dream and fantasize. But they can also disappoint us, disgust us and destroy our fantasies.
This is the other side of the notoriety medal. This is under-told to young people who want to be “rich and famous,” even as examples of breakdowns have increased in recent years.