French chef Jean Imbert placed under assisted witness status as domestic violence inquiry opens

What happened

Celebrity chef Jean Imbert, 45, was placed under the "assisted witness" status on Wednesday, 5 August, after 36 hours in police custody and a roughly three-hour hearing before an investigating judge at the Paris judicial court. The Paris prosecutor's office announced it had opened a judicial investigation on charges of habitual violence causing work incapacity exceeding eight days, committed by a partner or cohabitant, to the detriment of two victims for acts between December 2023 and November 2024. Imbert, who won Top Chef in 2012 and now cooks at the Plaza Athénée in Paris and the Martinez in Cannes, left the court a free man, as the assisted witness status carries no restrictive liberty measures such as judicial supervision or pretrial detention.

Six women heard, two cases retained

Investigators heard six of Imbert's ex-companions, each describing violence of different natures, the prosecutor said. All six confirmed being victims of violence or coercive control, with psychological impact assessed at 25 to 30 days of total work incapacity (ITT) for each. Several described elements of coercive control, including control of their social contacts, outings, and appearance. Confidants of the victims attested to bite marks, bruises, humiliating behavior, and confinement in a room. However, only two of the six cases were retained by the prosecutor, as the alleged acts concerning the other four women appear prescribed under the statute of limitations.

Named accusers

The first complaint was filed approximately one year ago by actress Lila Salet, 35, for acts dating to 2012 and 2013. She described being subjected to severe slaps and verbal violence, saying he controlled her to the point of excluding her from her own family. Former Miss France Alexandra Rosenfeld, 39, filed a complaint in spring 2026 for acts during their relationship between 2012 and 2014. She recounted that in 2013, Imbert grabbed her arms and struck her with a headbutt, causing a fractured nose. Rosenfeld's complaint was filed after the initial investigation was already underway.

Legal status and reactions

The assisted witness status is an intermediate category between a simple witness and a formal suspect (mis en examen), used when the judge considers that evidence against the person is not yet sufficient for formal charges. The status grants the right to a lawyer, access to the case file, and the ability to request confrontations with accusers, but does not allow pretrial detention. The judge can upgrade the status to a formal charge if new evidence emerges during the investigation.

Imbert's lawyer, Jacqueline Laffont, expressed relief at the decision.

There is what is circulated in the media and on social networks, and then there is the complexity of the cases. Judicial decisions, from time to time, are rather reassuring.

Caroline Boyer, lawyer for one anonymous ex-companion who never filed a formal complaint but testified as a witness, welcomed the opening of the judicial investigation.

She is satisfied that Justice, by opening a judicial investigation, is giving itself the means to pursue the facts she denounced during the investigation.

Boyer also noted that the prosecutor, based on medical examinations of the ex-companions, already describes violence of particular gravity, with each woman having sustained 25 to 30 days of ITT.

What happens next

The judicial investigation allows the investigating judge to conduct a longer period of investigation, including new expert assessments and potentially organizing confrontations between Imbert and his accusers. Imbert contests the criminal qualification of the facts attributed to him and remains presumed innocent. The assisted witness status is not permanently fixed for the duration of the proceedings; if serious or corroborating evidence emerges, the judge can place him under formal charge after a further interrogation or by registered letter.