In his work Michel Polnareff, a prince held hostagepublished on June 13, 2024 by Éditions the Archipelago and Tele-Leisure was able to read, Ludovic Perrin recounts the star’s life full of adventures. He particularly focuses on the time when the singer found himself in a very complicated situation after being scammed.
His extravagant look and his songs make him one of the most famous French singers. However, Michel Polnareff came from far away to build himself a notorious celebrity as well as a large fortune. The star, who was at one time homeless, has achieved a great rise, which has aroused the envy of certain ill-intentioned people. In the book Michel Polnareff, a prince held hostagepublished on June 13, 2024 by Éditions the Archipelagothe author Ludovic Perrin tells how the star was abused by someone close to him. Tele-Leisurewho was able to read this book, tells you everything about this story worthy of a movie script.
“He was strong, reassuring”: Michel Polnareff abused by a trusted man
The singer would never have imagined that this man could do something like this to him… And yet, it did happen. To take care of his administration, Michel Polnareff had called on the services of Bernard Seneau. The man had been recommended to him by a trusted person, his former karate teacher and private secretary. He immediately inspired sympathy in the singer and in some people around him, such as Anique Balbir-Lecher, the ex-partner of Michel Polnareff’s private secretary. She describes Bernard Seneau as someone who seemed to her “strong, reassuring.” Anique Balbir-Lecher recounts that in order to fool Michel Polnareff, he pretended to be the father of a handicapped son. She explained to this child who was not his: “He was a Down syndrome patient, whom he had ‘borrowed’ from an institution for disabled people. He used him as bait to soften Michel up. And apparently, it worked.”. Unfortunately, Michel Polnareff believed it and gave Bernard Seneau full powers over the administration of his accounts. A serious mistake…
Ruined, Michel Polnareff made a radical decision after being swindled
It took a while for the star to realise the situation. The first trigger came when he went on holiday to the French Riviera. While he was buying a simple book, his cheque was refused. Shortly afterwards, he received a call from the bank. Anique Balbir-Lecher, who was there, recounts: “She (the bank) asked him why he had withdrawn 70,000 francs in small bills. Michel knew nothing about it.” However, the singer’s close friend clarifies: “However, he didn’t seem to be overly concerned about it. […] His trust in Bernard Seneau was such that he was not even angry.” Money was not very important to Michel Polnareff. This indifference was short-lived, since in 1973, the tax authorities accused the musician of having hidden 6 million francs from the tax authorities and asked him to pay 3 million francs immediately. A sum that the singer no longer had. Michel Polnareff nevertheless took the situation philosophically by declaring, on the subject of his finances: “I don’t care at all. What interests me is having a guitar and a piano.” After this bad experience, the star decided to leave for America with the aim of getting back on his feet financially and settling his debts. Michel Polnareff was unable to perform in France from 1973 to 1978 due to unpaid taxes. However, the book states that some witnesses, such as Fabien Lecoeuvre, the musician’s former agent, believe that the debts could have been accumulated by the star and that Bernard Seneau would only have repaid what was owed to him. However, the French courts ruled in favor of the artist in 1978 by sentencing Bernard Seneau, who had opened a restaurant in New York in the meantime, and by dismissing the case in favor of the artist.
