Chef Jean Imbert Held in Police Custody in Paris

Paris – 03.08.2026: French chef Jean Imbert was taken into police custody in Paris on Monday morning. According to Franceinfo, he is being questioned by investigators over allegations of domestic violence. The measure does not constitute an attribution of guilt, but serves to allow questioning and secure possible evidence. Imbert is presumed innocent.

According to the report, three complaints have been filed by former partners. They include Alexandra Rosenfeld, a former Miss France. According to media reports, she filed a complaint in February 2026. The allegations relate to a previous relationship and incidents said to have occurred several years ago. It was initially not publicly known which specific alleged offenses are the subject of the current questioning.

As early as August 2025, the Versailles public prosecutor’s office had opened an investigation into alleged violence within a relationship following a complaint by former actress Lila Salet. According to media reports at the time, this concerned possible acts in 2012 and 2013. The investigations therefore concern statements by several women and different time periods. It is not known whether the cases have since been merged or are being handled separately.

The police custody marks a formal step in French criminal proceedings. It allows investigators to hold and question a suspect under legally regulated conditions. Imbert has the right to legal counsel. Once the measure has ended, the competent public prosecutor’s office will decide on the next steps. Possible outcomes include release without immediate consequences, additional investigations, or the initiation of further judicial proceedings.

Jean Imbert became known to a wide audience through the television program “Top Chef”. He later took over kitchens at prestigious establishments. In April 2026, the Paris hotel Plaza Athénée announced that Imbert was no longer working there as head chef. The separation took place against the backdrop of the publicly made allegations; no details of possible employment-law matters were provided.

Earlier statements from Imbert’s circle rejected the allegations made against him. His lawyers stated in August 2025 that they intended to challenge what they viewed as one-sided accounts. Whether the chef gave a statement during the current questioning remained unclear on Monday afternoon. There was also initially no public statement from the competent Paris public prosecutor’s office. The confirmed information is therefore limited to the ongoing questioning and the three complaints cited by Franceinfo.