« Today, I speak. Not for pleasure. Not to make noise. I do it because, unfortunately, I feel it's the only way to be heard and to make things change. » In an Instagram post published on the evening of Sunday, April 27, Kim Chabaud, Global Marketing and Partnerships at Hoxton, accused Hubert Niveleau, co-founder of the successful pop-up tables Piccolo and Vecchio, of having drugged her without her knowledge. The incident allegedly took place during a private party at Piccolo, located on the 6th floor of Perchoir Ménilmontant (11th arrondissement).
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« Someone I knew and appreciated »
In a carousel of seven slides, Kim Chabaud describes how she caught Hubert Niveleau, the suspected perpetrator and one of her longtime personal and professional friends, putting a substance in her drink. According to her testimony, after ordering a soda around 10 PM, the 32-year-old woman was chatting with the manager and co-founder of the venue when she "caught him quickly sprinkling a whitish powdery substance into my glass," she writes.
Witnessing a suspicious act but feeling trusted, Kim jokes with her conversation partner: « What are you doing, are you putting MD in my drink or what?&i> ». Hubert Niveleau changes the subject, « as if nothing happened». « I wonder if I really saw what I thought I saw. Yet, I was sober», Kim Chabaud recalls. As a precaution, she decides to only take 2-3 sips.eacute;es, a sufficient quantity to feel the "first disturbing effects."
A complaint filed for chemical submission
Around 10:30 PM, while still chatting with the manager of Piccolo, the young woman starts to be overwhelmed by hot flashes. All signs are red: "My head is spinning, a dark veil appears, my jaw is tightening," she lists. Eager to reunite with her friends to leave quickly, Kim Chabaud explains that she tried to end their conversation, to which the man responded: "Give me a kiss" while pointing to his cheek, insisting twice. Not giving in, she leaves the restaurant accompanied by her loved ones, first heading home, then to the emergency room, as "the effects continue to intensify." Once there, the verdict is pronounced: "Suspicion of chemical submission."ue to GHB ».
Since then, Kim Chabaud has filed a complaint for chemical submission. While she could support her account thanks to the testimony of her friends, the young woman regrets that she could not obtain any " proof " regarding the presence of GHB in her blood, as the substance is eliminated very quickly from the body, especially when administered in low doses.
Three other similar testimonies
From the moment it was published, Kim Chabaud's post caused an uproar in the Parisian food scene and the media. In the comments, the young woman received support from a multitude of personalities, including feminist journalist Clarence Edgard-Rosa, author Morgane Ortin, and chef Jordan Moilim, as well as a hundred anonymous individuals who came to thank her for speaking out.
© Screenshot Instagram
Her testimony could very well be just the tip of the iceberg. After coming across Kim Chabaud's story, Adélie Vernhes, a press officer in the restaurant industry and founder of the Polar Label agency, stated — first in comments and then via an Instagram story — that she too had been a victim of chemical submission at Vecchio in January 2024. However, she never filed a complaint and didn’t see “who the culprit was,” unlike Kim Chabaud. Two other testimonies were reportedly received by her, who has set up an email address (témoignages.piccolo@gmail.com) to collect the voices of women who experienced similar abuse at Piccolo or Vecchio.
© Screenshot from Instagram
As of today, Hubert Niveleau has not publicly responded to the accusations. The investigation is ongoing.
