Gisèle Pelicot shares her story

February 15, 2026

In her first interview with an American media outlet, Gisèle Pelicot spoke with Lulu Garcia-Navarro about France’s largest-ever mass-rape trial. They talked for nearly three hours about her life before, during and after the horrific abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband of 50 years.

She recounts the moment she learned that her husband had, over the course of a decade, drugged and raped her repeatedly and invited at least 70 men into their bedroom to assault her while she was sedated and unconscious. She also discussed her decision to give up her anonymity at the trial of these men, and the impact of the revelations on her and her three children. “She was astonishing in her clarity and dignity and in her ability to survive and thrive, despite the horrific abuse she suffered,” says Garcia-Navarro. “I’ve never met anyone like her.”

Here are some of the key moments from the interview or you can watch it on YouTube.

The Interview

‘They All Tried to Break Me’: Gisèle Pelicot Shares Her Story

In her first interview with an American media outlet, Pelicot opens up about surviving years of secret abuse — and a trial that shocked the world.

1 HR 3 MIN LISTEN

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