Booba, Banijay: the pope of influencers Magali Berdah explains
Magali Berdah has been a public figure for a long time. During the last presidential campaign, he met with the main candidates, from Emmanuel Macron to Jean-Luc Mélenchon, not forgetting Marine Le Pen. However, those who don’t watch reality shows or TPMP columnist Cyril Hanouna’s shows or are addicted to social media have only recently heard about it. The founder of Shauna Events, an influencer marketing agency that manages the careers of many reality TV stars (Nabilla and Maeva Ghennam), has become a central figure in the long-running conflict. “In real life, there’s more that’s said than what happens,” he says under the gaze of his lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo.
To understand why the guard is looking at him now, you have to remember the context of this modern series, which would make people smile if it weren’t for the death threats against him. Since June 2022, Booba, the most popular rapper on the French scene, never stops criticizing the practices of reality TV influencers. He filed a complaint in the summer and the Grasse prosecutor’s office started an investigation against him
Magali Berdah has been a public figure for a long time. During the last presidential campaign, he met with the main candidates, from Emmanuel Macron to Jean-Luc Mélenchon, not forgetting Marine Le Pen. However, those who don’t watch reality shows or TPMP columnist Cyril Hanouna’s shows or are addicted to social media have only recently heard about it. The founder of Shauna Events, an influencer marketing agency that manages the careers of many reality TV stars (Nabilla and Maeva Ghennam), has become a central figure in the long-running conflict. “In real life, there’s more that’s said than what happens,” he says under the gaze of his lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo.
To understand why the guard is looking at him now, you have to remember the context of this modern series, which would make people smile if it weren’t for the death threats against him. Since June 2022, Booba, the most popular rapper on the French scene, never stops criticizing the practices of reality TV influencers. She filed a complaint in the summer, and the Grasse prosecutor’s office opened an investigation against Shauna Events for “misleading commercial practices.” Hundreds of insulting and hateful messages followed on social networks. “It’s very difficult to live, as long as you’re not dead, nobody takes you seriously, he admits. I don’t have the right to smile or complain anymore. We have to hide like people outside the society.”
“I did the shipping myself”
The police are taking the matter seriously. About twenty people will have to answer to justice for acts of cyberbullying. since Further investigation “The real work of influencers”, broadcast on France 2 last September, examines the experiences of the stars of social networks under a magnifying glass. For hunting drop shipping This practice, which flirts with a scam pure and simple, has just been announced: some influencers have promoted discounted products, even though the promoted products are often of poor quality or even fake. “I did it myself drop shipping, Magali accepts Berdah, but it is not illegal. “All institutions have done extraordinary work.”
Six months into the eye of the storm, the high priest of influencers is avoiding the identity of the network stars who continue to work with him: “Due to security, I can no longer contact the ins and outs.” The influencer – who has a following of 1.5 million fans on Instagram – shows us the catalog of people he represents. The list includes “stars” with whom he is used to working and who will always trust him. “Thank God there are still more.”
“I don’t hide”
Still, the end of the year was turbulent for Magali Berdah. The Banijay group (Stéphane Courbit), which bought the majority of his company four years ago, sold him his shares for one euro. Parisian. “I wanted to get my story back,” explains Magali Berdah. He has yet to be heard in an investigation into “deceptive commercial practices”. “If I had run a high-level organized gang scam, I think the police would have called me by now.” Before adding a jab at Booba: “I’m not hiding in Miami, I’m in France and I’m ready for the challenge.”
However, the businesswoman was punished for it informants In 2018, a suspended one-year prison sentence was given, the sentence was confirmed on appeal, “abuse of weakness”. His company was also ordered by the Paris Commercial Court to pay almost 2 million euros to two influencers, Emma Paris and Vlad Oltean, for allegedly abusing the contract. “Magali Berdah is not facing any charges, but Shauna Events, yes, she is clearing herself. The legal operation started and ended while the company was run by Banijay.” Even though he said he wants to file an appeal, the other party’s lawyers are waiting for the documents. However, he still sees the future in a big way: “I will open branches abroad. In Italy, Spain or Turkey.”
Exchange with Bruno Le Maire on Twitter
Due to controversy over the practices of influencers, the government chose to regulate the sector shortly after a consultation launched by Bercy earlier in the year. “In 2021, I asked Bruno Le Maire for a clear rule,” he explains. And to show us the exchange with the minister on Twitter. Since then, UMICC, an interprofessional association of influencer marketing agencies, has been formed: “It’s frustrating. You don’t want to love or hate reality stars.” Bitter: “When it came to communicating with barrier gestures in government, Shauna Events was no problem.”
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— Bruno Le Maire (@BrunoLeMaire) January 8, 2023
Preparation: Magali Berdah hosted us at their offices in Paris on January 24th. His lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, took part in the discussions, as did his wife, Stephane, who had just bought the influencer marketing agency he founded from the Banijay group.
