French media founder Guillaume Pley has filed a defamation lawsuit against several news outlets and a content creator following allegations that he sent inappropriate sexual messages to a minor.
The legal action, filed on Wednesday, August 12, targets French magazine Les Inrockuptibles, national newspaper Le Monde, and YouTuber TPZ. Defense lawyer Jade Dousselin told French newspaper Le Parisien that the complaints challenge investigative reports accusing Pley of sending inappropriate sexual messages to multiple women, including a 14-year-old girl.
According to the investigation published by Le Monde, the message exchange involving the adolescent dates back to 2011. Pley was 26 years old at the time of the communications, while the girl was barely 14. The reports cited messages sent by the former radio host, including explicit flirtatious remarks directed at the minor.
Defamation Lawsuits and Account Management
Pley, who founded the digital media outlet Legend and previously worked as a host on commercial radio station NRJ, addressed the claims on August 7. He acknowledged that certain exchanges were clearly inappropriate, but maintained that the messages did not all originate directly from him because his social media accounts were co-managed with his production team. Several of his former colleagues quickly denied that claim.
Dousselin stated that physical evidence and corroborating testimonies supported Pley's assertion that several messages personally attributed to him were not written by him. She said that during his tenure at NRJ, multiple digital tools, communication channels, and social media profiles were accessible to and administered by different members of his staff.
The attorney added that while freedom of expression and freedom of information were essential, they did not authorize presenting contested accusations as established facts. She noted that disseminating untruths severely harmed the honor and reputation of Pley and his company Legend, adding that all witness statements had been submitted to the judicial system.
Past Controversies and Media Backlash
Pley currently leads Legend, an online media company that has nearly four million subscribers on YouTube. The current legal action follows earlier criticism from former radio collaborators, who questioned his character and accused him of toxic management practices and sexist behavior. Pley previously responded to those workplace accusations by stating that his goal had been to make people laugh.
The presenter has also faced public scrutiny over other digital content. An independent investigation into Pley and Legend by a videographer based in Toulouse was recently removed from YouTube, prompting the creator to denounce the removal as censorship. Pley also drew backlash across social media after broadcasting footage of the fatal crash involving Formula One driver Jules Bianchi, drawing criticism from viewers who condemned the broadcast as disrespectful.
With witness statements and material evidence now submitted to French legal authorities, the courts will determine whether the published investigations by Le Monde, Les Inrockuptibles, and TPZ constitute unlawful defamation against Pley and his media company.
