A new book by Hubert Guérin, a former deputy to longtime Miss France president Geneviève de Fontenay, alleges that multiple winners of the Miss France pageant were sexually assaulted or raped after receiving the crown, in some cases within hours of being crowned.
Guérin said the work, begun in 2020 with the agreement of de Fontenay and published this week as "Miss France, from dream to reality," draws on the accounts of roughly 10 former Miss France winners and, he said, testimony from as many as 60 former titleholders and regional officials. He told French media the book documents a range of alleged aggressions, from groping to forced fellatio and rape. One passage quoted an alleged victim saying, "I was raped a few hours after being elected Miss France: in my room, I was pushed against the bed, called every name under the sun, and my dress was torn off."
Guérin described a culture he said "crushes, crushes young girls," and accused "members of the Miss France organisation," including "some senior executives still in office," of involvement or complicity. He did not identify alleged perpetrators in the book, and he told RTL radio that a climate of silence and pressure — which he called an "omertà" — helps explain why victims have not filed legal complaints.
The allegations have provoked public debate in France and drawn responses from current and former insiders. Camille Cerf, Miss France 2015, denied speaking to Guérin and posted on X that comments attributed to her in the book were "false and completely fabricated." Sylvie Tellier, Miss France 2002 and a former head of the Miss France organisation, said she was never contacted to testify and that she had never heard of the assaults described. Tellier told RTL that had she been informed of harassment or sexual assault during her tenure, she would have encouraged those affected to file complaints and that "you don't do justice in a book, you do justice in court."
The Miss France Company issued a statement ahead of the book's publication saying it had "taken note of the reported allegations of sexual violence and attacks on the integrity of the candidates, which allegedly took place between 1990 and 2002, without naming the people concerned." The organisation said it could not judge the veracity of the claims and noted that, according to the author, the alleged incidents predate the company's takeover by Endemol and later by Banijay. The statement added that, if proven, such facts would raise concerns about "the safety, dignity and respect of each woman."
Not all former contestants contacted by French media supported the book's claims. One former winner told local outlets that quotes attributed to her were fabricated. At the same time, some regional former contestants said Guérin's account had resurfaced painful memories. Ludivine Langlois, Miss Nièvre 2016, told Le Parisien she experienced sexual harassment at a regional pageant when she was 19 and described receiving lewd messages from a volunteer who "had power in the competition."
Guérin's book places the alleged incidents in a broader critique of the pageant's internal culture and management. He said he compiled testimonies from current and former participants over several years and spoke publicly about the pattern of complaints to prompt scrutiny of institutional practices. The book does not, according to reporting, identify specific accused individuals by name in connection with criminal acts.
Lawyers and advocates say that public allegations can spur victims to come forward but also underline the challenges of pursuing historic cases, including statutes of limitations and the need for corroborating evidence. To date, no former Miss France winner has filed criminal complaints linked to the events described in the book.
The publication has prompted calls for clarity and, for some, accountability from the Miss France organisation. The company said it will examine the allegations and reiterated a commitment to candidates' safety. Meanwhile the debate continues in French media and on social platforms as readers and former contestants react to the claims and denials in the wake of the book's release.