The Controversial Sex Doll Apartment

While often referred to as sex dolls, this label doesn’t fully capture what many realistic dolls provide for their owners. Beyond sexual pleasure, they can offer companionship, comfort, and a sense of safety for those seeking intimacy in their lives. This was the vision of a Parisian entrepreneur who aimed to make these dolls more accessible, but the venture quickly sparked controversy.

Though not the first of its kind—similar establishments exist in Japan and other parts of Europe—the Xdolls apartment in Paris raised significant questions about its legality and the services it offered. Officially registered as a "gaming center," the private apartment allowed patrons to pay for time spent with realistic silicone dolls.

However, members of the French Communist Party on the Paris Council protested the business, arguing that it functioned as a brothel. This interpretation suggested that the dolls could be classified as prostitutes, which is problematic under French law.

Since 1946, operating a brothel has been illegal in France, and while prostitution itself was outlawed in 2016, the effectiveness and ethics of these laws remain hotly debated. Complaints from the anti-prostitution group Movement du Nid further fueled a police investigation into Xdolls and its compliance with the law.

Ultimately, the police concluded that Xdolls had not violated any laws, particularly those regarding the operation of illegal brothels. Since the dolls are not actual women, they do not fit the definition of prostitution.

In France, owning and selling sex dolls is legal, categorizing them alongside other sex toys. Thus, the potential for Xdolls to be deemed illegal raised broader implications for the industry as a whole.