Now that her years in government are behind her, Marlène Schiappa dares to confide in the dark behind-the-scenes of her former position. The former Secretary of State for Equality between Women and Men recently dropped a bombshell on August 30 during her appearance on Jordan Deluxe Poolrevealing that she had been the victim of sexual assault by a “known” media personality while she was still working. After several years of silence, the writer decided to speak out for the first time on the subject.
“There is someone who is well-known (in the media and artistic world) who comes to my office, demands that we be alone and tries to kiss me by force,” she told the presenter, who was stunned. “He held me like that to try to kiss me and so I asked him to leave the office.”
Although the alleged attacker initially complied, his attitude then apparently took a violent turn, as Marlène Schiappa regained “her senses”, “with her back to the door”. “He reopened the door to come into my office and grab me”, she added, raising with the presenter the irony of the situation in the very place where “we are fighting against these issues”.
Self-blame
The former secretary of state later recalled contacting her adviser and deputy chief of staff to tell him about the situation. “Something just happened and I don’t know how to put it into words,” she said at the time. “I started telling them, ‘I shouldn’t have made the appointment by myself.’ Normally, a minister doesn’t make an appointment by himself, he makes it with other people, etc.,” she explained. She then sought excuses to her attacker: “‘It must be me, by my behavior, etc.’ And they said to me, ‘But stop, you’re doing what you always say you shouldn’t do, which is to not blame yourself.’”
If her reaction was surprising in relation to her own claims and responsibilities, Marlène Schiappa highlighted the “reflexes” of thoughts that are still automatic in many people when faced with this type of situation. “But in fact, even when we theorize these subjects, even when we work on them, when we are confronted with them ourselves, there is always a moment when we have these reflexes and it is very hard to get out of it.” As for the name of the alleged aggressor, the former minister will reveal it “perhaps one day.”