On 28 October 1824, Custine's life was irrevocably changed. That night, he was found unconscious in the mud outside of Paris, stripped to the waist, having been beaten and robbed. The attack had been carried out by a group of soldiers; with one of whom Custine allegedly had attempted to have a sexual encounter. However the exact reason for the attack was never proven. Nevertheless, news of the incident quickly spread around France — "From this time on to the end of his life Custine would figure, in the cruel gossip of the day, primarily as France's most distinguished and notorious homosexual." Even though the literary salons, as opposed to the society salons, remained open to Custine, many people who were friendly with him sneered at him behind his back. His diplomatic career was also cut short by this incident. A few years later, in 1826, several family friends would die, as well as Custine's young son Enguerrand (born 1822), by his late wife, and his mother.