"I would prefer to remain silent. I have been in police custody for three days. "On February 18, it is 11:39 am when Alexandra de Taddeo, exhausted by her hearings in the affair of the intimate videos of Benjamin Griveaux, cut short his exchange with the investigating judge. The young woman of 29 finds herself confronted with a practical case of law, a subject she is studying at Sciences-po and Assas: the interrogation at first appearance. Here she is indicted for "invasion of privacy" and "distribution without the consent of the person of a recording of a sexual nature".
Since then, Alexandra de Taddeo has remained silent. But before the police of the Brigade for the Suppression of Delinquency in the Person, the young woman was effused for a long time on her connections with Benjamin Griveaux, ex-LREM candidate for mayor of Paris, and Piotr Pavlenski, Russian agitator at the origin of the fall of the politician. Two men, two atmospheres. Alexandra de Taddeo denies being aware that Pavlenski, her current partner, was going to broadcast the sexual videos that Benjamin Griveaux had sent her. She says she has kept "no animosity" towards the politician and excludes any personal revenge.
But investigators and magistrates wonder about his possible implication in the "project" of Pavlenski which aimed, according to him, to denounce a supposed "puritanism" in the speech of the politicians. Especially since the hearings of Alexandra de Taddeo, which we have read in full, show that her relationship with Benjamin Griveaux was not so peaceful.
"Although I was not attracted to him, we had sex"
"I was in contact with him first through social networks," says the student in police custody. According to her story, she adds Benjamin Griveaux, then government spokesperson, on Instagram. Then both chat privately on Facebook. "We had words of all kinds, humor, political action but nothing intimate," continues the student. In April 2018, she posted a photo of the Paris Opera on Instagram. “Mr. Griveaux told me that he lived in this neighborhood. He insinuated me that we could meet at his place […] His wife was on vacation. "
For the sake of confidentiality, the two lovers only meet once in the apartment of Alexandra de Taddeo's 16th in mid-May. "I had no wait," says the young woman. During the discussion, he kissed me and although I was not attracted to him, we had sexual intercourse on my part. The student says she has a bad memory of this relationship. Among other things, it evokes the discourse of the politician. "He had unpleasant comments about government figures, I found it inappropriate. She sums up their relationship to "an Internet hit".
"Recordings", without the knowledge of his interlocutor
Despite this, their virtual exchanges continue. “I did it sometimes out of boredom or because it was funny, gargles Taddeo. His way of trying to seduce me was a bit heavy but I played the game, it amused me. The two send each other intimate videos. Him of masturbation sessions, "between five and ten", in the words of Alexandra de Taddeo. Films made "on vacation in the Var" or at "his office in the ministry". She pictures of her body.
The student admits having saved the videos at the time "via screenshots or recordings by the Iphone", without the knowledge of her interlocutor. Even though their exchanges were destroying themselves. It was not a question, she swears, of constituting a compromising file. “I did not identify Benjamin Griveaux as someone courageous and sincere and I wanted to keep the proofs of his solicitations. I knew that if his wife or someone learned of his relationship with me, he would not hesitate to bury me […] ”She adds:“ Despite all this business, I have no regrets. "
In January 2019, Alexandra de Taddeo couples with the one she calls "my lover": Piotr Pavlenski. Seduced by her performances, she wrote to the Russian in the summer of 2017 to offer him an interview to "popularize her art". From then on, the student would have ended her discussions with Griveaux and postponed her requests for an appointment.
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When she discovered the publication of the videos by her companion, Alexandra de Taddeo claims to have angered. Before finally supporting the action of the Russian. "It is hypocrisy that reigns [...] and he wanted to open a debate on politics and sex", maintains the suspect, even accusing Benjamin Griveaux of "instrumentalizing his private life" and refuting the reason for his custody at sight.
"Are you an escort girl?" Asked the police in custody, wondering about a possible plot. Respondent's response: "No, never. If I were, I could not be with Piotr, it is contrary to his principles. The investigators were disturbed by a note written by the student to the attention of Piotr Pavlenski for his interviews. On this document seized during the search, one can read: "Make it clear that the source did not know at the start but she understands".
