In Gordes, Alexandra Rosenfeld smiles in the Vaucluse light, the year she was crowned Miss Europe 2007. Around her, the crowd blends into a summer backdrop. Credit: Jean-Marc Rosier from http://www.rosier.pro, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Jean Imbert police custody was extended by twenty-four hours on Tuesday, August 4, in Paris. This measure comes in the investigation opened after several complaints from former partners alleging domestic violence. It may continue until Wednesday morning. The 45-year-old chef denies the accusations, while investigators continue their checks. At this stage, no judicial decision establishes his guilt.
A Second Day Of Questioning In Paris
The extension was announced Tuesday morning by Franceinfo, which cites a source close to the investigation, while BFMTV cites corroborating sources. Both outlets indicate that the measure may last until Wednesday, August 5, in the morning. On Tuesday afternoon, no reliable information indicated that it had been lifted or that a judicial decision had been made at its conclusion.
Jean Imbert had been summoned on Monday, August 3, to be questioned in Paris. According to BFMTV, this was not an arrest at his home. His attorneys, Jacqueline Laffont and Julie Benedetti, told AFP that he had shown up with documents to support his version of events. They added that he was answering investigators’ questions. The contents of these documents are not public and therefore cannot be assessed at this stage.
What Does An Extension Of Police Custody Change?
Under general law, Article 63 of the Code of Criminal Procedure sets the maximum length of police custody at twenty-four hours. It allows the public prosecutor to authorize in writing and with reasons a single extension of up to twenty-four hours. This decision requires that the legal conditions be met and that continuing the measure remain necessary to the investigation.
This second period gives investigators more time to continue interviews, verify statements, and examine items added to the case file. It does not mean the allegations are established. Police custody is an investigative measure. It is neither formal charges, a status decided within the framework of a judicial investigation, nor a conviction. Jean Imbert remains presumed innocent.
The extension also does not, by itself, indicate the decision that will follow. At the end of the period, the person may be released or face a procedural next step decided by the judicial authority. In either case, the investigation may continue. None of these possibilities should be anticipated until they have been announced by a judicial source or by the defense.
Who Filed A Complaint Against Jean Imbert?
A source close to the investigation told France Télévisions that the chef is the target of at least three complaints. This number has not been publicly detailed by the Paris prosecutor’s office. Two former partners are identified in the available sources: Lila Salet and Alexandra Rosenfeld. The identity of any additional complainant, the exact content of each complaint, and how they fit into the procedure have not been confirmed.
Lila Salet filed a complaint in the summer of 2025 over alleged incidents dating back to 2012 and 2013. Alexandra Rosenfeld announced in 2026 that she had filed a complaint for physical and psychological abuse. She says she suffered them during her relationship with Jean Imbert, between 2012 and 2014. The chef denies the accusations against him.
These complaints must be distinguished from testimony published in the press. In April 2025, an ELLE investigation reported the accounts of four former partners. Three described psychological abuse and, in some cases, physical abuse; a fourth described jealousy, belittling, and controlling behavior. A public account does not automatically constitute a complaint. The number of women interviewed by the magazine does not make it possible to infer the number of legal proceedings.
Jean Imbert responded to this investigation through his team and rejected the facts attributed to him. His attorneys maintain today that he has material evidence supporting his version. These claims are part of the adversarial process. Their weight will be assessed as part of the procedure, just like the complainants’ statements and evidence.
From The ELLE Investigation To Police Custody
On April 23, 2025, the publication of the ELLE investigation made public several accusations targeting the 2012 Top Chef winner. The magazine published his team’s response the same day. At that point, the media accounts and the judicial acts did not necessarily overlap.
A separate case was then opened in Versailles after Lila Salet’s complaint. According to BFMTV, the Versailles prosecutor’s office recused itself in favor of Paris on August 29, 2025. That transfer, however, is not enough to say that all the complaints mentioned in the press were joined into a single procedure.
In spring 2026, Alexandra Rosenfeld said that she, too, had filed a complaint. Separately, an AFP dispatch carried by ICI reports that in April the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed an investigation had been opened. It concerns violence by a spouse or partner and was assigned to the 16th arrondissement police station. The prosecutor’s office did not specify either the number or the identities of the complainants. It cited respect for their privacy and the integrity of the investigation.
The procedure took a new step on Monday, August 3, with Jean Imbert being summoned and placed in police custody. The extension decided on Tuesday, August 4, is, at this stage, the latest public action. It authorizes investigations to continue for one more day, without prejudging the outcome.
What Remains Unknown At This Stage
The exact legal classification being examined for each complaint has not been fully disclosed. The precise number of cases consolidated in Paris, the substance of the interviews, and the nature of the documents provided by the defense also remain unknown. These gaps mean the stories published since April 2025 should not be presented as a single definitively established set.
The outcome of police custody remains the main unresolved issue. Release would not mean the case has been closed. Any referral to a magistrate would not amount to a finding of guilt. Until a decision is announced, the established fact remains that police custody has been extended in an ongoing investigation. The accusations are contested and the exact scope of the complaints is not public.