Paris Vice Cops Quiz De Niro

Actor being held for questioning in France; spokesman denies Oscar winner is a suspect

By Joal Ryan Feb 10, 1998 7:25 PMTags
Actor Robert De Niro was detained in Paris today--being questioned by vice-squad cops about an international prostitution ring, NBC News reports.

The 54-year-old Oscar winner was taken into custody early Tuesday at the Hotel Pristol, according to the network.

Technically, per the parlance of French law, De Niro was "arrested." But the actor's publicist told NBC that the Cape Fear star was merely facing the equivalent of being "held for questioning," in U.S. legal-speak.

Publicist Stan Rosenfeld confirmed to the network that Paris police are quizzing De Niro but denied that the film star is a suspect.

Rosenfeld told NBC that the vice squad may be questioning De Niro about a case that doesn't directly involve the actor--a prostitution ring catering to wealthy Middle Eastern clientele. According to Associated Press sources, De Niro's name was found in an address book seized by investigators.

After speaking with police, the actor appeared before the French investigating judge and then was released. All told, he spent some nine hours in custody.

De Niro, known for his intense portrayal of men on the edge, is currently seen onscreen in the Academy Award-nominated Wag the Dog, as a political strategist called on to quell a White House sex scandal.

Last June, he married his longtime girlfriend, former flight attendant Grace Hightower, in New York.

(UPDATED 1 p.m. PT)