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French star chef to 'step back' after domestic abuse complaint / Photo: © AFP/File
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French star chef to 'step back' after domestic abuse complaint
French celebrity chef Jean Imbert said Wednesday he would "step back" from his restaurants after prosecutors opened an investigation into a domestic violence complaint from his former partner.
Lila Salet, a former actor, lodged the complaint on Saturday over incidents that she says took place between 2012 and 2013 when she was in a relationship with the 44-year-old "Top Chef" winner, according to Elle magazine.
Imbert, who rose to fame after winning the reality cooking show and then becoming a social media star, has denied the allegations.
"I have decided to step back from my establishments while the justice system does its work," Imbert said on his Instagram account.
The chef said he was "relieved" to have the matter referred to the courts, adding he had "no doubt" about the investigation's outcome.
"I won't comment on what has been said in recent months, because in the current media noise it's impossible to defend oneself with dignity," he added.
Salet filed the complaint after she and three other ex-partners of the chef at the Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris accused him of physical and psychological abuse in an April interview with Elle.
Former Miss France Alexandra Rosenfeld, who initially spoke out under a pseudonym, said last week that more than 10 years ago Imbert broke her nose, with an X-ray confirming the injury.
A spokesperson for the chef said Imbert "deeply regretted" the incident, adding that Rosenfeld's nose was broken during "a moment of violence" when Imbert was grabbed by his partner and "broke free".
Salet told AFP it was Rosenfeld's testimony that prompted her to file the complaint, adding the chef was "violent" with her.
Salet, who filed and withdrew a complaint against the chef in 2013, said she wants "justice to be done".
A.Byun--SG
