While promoting his latest book on Napoleon on the set of Quelle Époque! on Saturday, May 3, Louis Sarkozy found himself at the center of a controversial moment. Regular panelist and comedian Paul de Saint-Sernin directly targeted the son of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy with a jarring remark.
“Your father is a thief… That’s all,” Saint-Sernin said bluntly, referring to Nicolas Sarkozy’s conviction in 2021 for corruption and influence peddling, which resulted in a three-year prison sentence—one year to be served under electronic surveillance.
Clearly caught off guard, Louis Sarkozy managed a tight smile and calmly replied, “But not the obligation,” after host Léa Salamé encouraged him: “You’re allowed to smile.” The moment created visible discomfort among the show’s other guests and the audience.
Saint-Sernin didn’t stop there. He also took aim at filmmaker Nicolas Bedos, who was on the set promoting his book La soif de honte (published by Éditions de l’Observatoire). The comedian sarcastically announced he would donate the book’s profits to a victims’ charity—without Bedos’s consent.
The jab was a direct reference to Bedos’s legal troubles. In October 2024, the director was sentenced to one year in prison, including six months under house arrest with an electronic bracelet, for sexually assaulting two women.
The segment has since sparked heated debate online over the limits of humor and the responsibility of public figures on live television.