Julie Ollivier, the first woman to file rape charges against Sébastien Cauet, died by suicide on Monday at the age of 28. Her death was confirmed this Friday by the MeToo Media association, of which she was a member. The young woman triggered the judicial case against the host in November 2023 by denouncing acts of rape she claimed to have suffered while she was a minor, and then several years later. Sébastien Cauet, indicted in May 2024, denies the accusations against him.
« We are devastated »: the emotion of the MeToo Media association
The disappearance of Julie Ollivier deeply upset the members of MeToo Media, an association that supports people denouncing sexist and sexual violence in the media. Its founder, Emmanuelle Dancourt, expressed her shock: « We are devastated, we are in shock. »
Julie Ollivier maintained regular contact with several members of the association. « We knew her very well. She was a member of the association, where she had a listener, friends. She attended our events. We did not expect this. It was a period when we thought she was getting better », explained Emmanuelle Dancourt. The precise circumstances of the young woman’s death have not been made public.
A first complaint filed in November 2023
On November 18, 2023, Julie Ollivier filed a complaint against Sébastien Cauet at the Saint-Laurent-sur-Saône gendarmerie, in Saône-et-Loire. She accused the host of imposing sexual acts on her in 2014, in a hotel room in Geneva, when she was only 16 years old. She also denounced other acts that allegedly occurred in 2022.
Her accusations were followed by those of several other women. In May 2024, Sébastien Cauet was indicted for rape and sexual assault in a procedure involving four complainants, several of whom were minors at the time of the alleged acts. The host has always denied the allegations against him and benefits from the presumption of innocence.
The judicial procedure was still ongoing at the time of Julie Ollivier’s death. On October 14, Sébastien Cauet was questioned on the substance of the accusations by the investigating judge in charge of the case.
Cauet had also filed a complaint against Julie Ollivier for death threats and harassment
The relations between Julie Ollivier and Sébastien Cauet gave rise to several separate judicial procedures. As previously reported, the host and his partner Nathalie Dartois filed a complaint against the young woman for death threats and moral harassment.
This complaint, filed in December 2025, concerned several posts published on social networks and an anonymous phone call received by Nathalie Dartois. Julie Ollivier’s lawyer, Me Helin Köse, denounced a « generalized attempt to destabilize my client. »
Julie Ollivier herself filed a complaint in July 2025, notably for cyberharassment, invasion of privacy, and violation of the secrecy of the investigation. The different procedures continued alongside the main investigation targeting Sébastien Cauet.
Her family announces their intention to continue the legal fight
After the announcement of the death, Me Helin Köse expressed her immense sadness. The lawyer praised Julie Ollivier’s determination, who had maintained her accusations against the host since filing her first complaint.
« She had the courage to denounce what she suffered and to carry her voice to the end », declared the lawyer, before announcing the young woman’s relatives’ intention to continue the legal proceedings.
« Her family has chosen to continue the legal fight she started and will become a civil party », specified Me Helin Köse, adding: « Our only wish is that her mourning be respected. »
The death of Julie Ollivier does not end the judicial investigation opened against Sébastien Cauet. The investigation continues, while the young woman’s family now intends to defend her interests in the procedure. No public element currently establishes a causal link between her suicide and the judicial procedures in which she was involved.
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