A French court has acquitted filmmaker Roman Polanski of defamation charges brought by British actor Charlotte Lewis, who had claimed that he raped her when she was a teenager, according to the New York Times.
Lewis, now 56, accused the 90-year-old filmmaker of sexually assaulting her when she was 16, during a casting session at his Paris home. However, the court did not address this accusation. Instead, it dealt with a 2019 interview in which Polanski called Lewis’ claim a heinous lie. The court’s decision focused on whether Polanski had violated free speech by dismissing her allegations.
The trial began in March after Lewis sued Polanski for defamation over the interview. Lewis first made her allegations against Polanski public in 2010. During the defamation case, Lewis testified that she had not filed a rape complaint against Polanski earlier because the statute of limitations had expired. Polanski did not attend the court hearing.
Polanski has faced multiple sexual assault accusations, starting in 1977 when he was arrested for allegedly assaulting 13-year-old Samantha Gailey. He pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and then fled the U.S., continuing his career in Europe.
He remains a fugitive from the U.S. legal system. In 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expelled him. However, in March 2023, Gailey stated in an interview with Polanski and his wife, Emmanuelle Seigner, that she had forgiven him and believed he did not deserve prison. In 2019, former actress Valentine Monnier accused Polanski of raping her in 1975 when she was 18, an allegation Polanski has denied.
Roman Polanski Acquitted in French Defamation Trial https://t.co/6iFMzYhadi
— Variety (@Variety) May 14, 2024
A Santa Monica judge has scheduled a trial for August 2025 for another rape lawsuit against Polanski. The plaintiff alleges that Polanski raped her in 1973 when she was underage, at his home in Benedict Canyon.
According to her lawsuit, Polanski invited her to dinner, gave her tequila shots, and then took her to his house, where she passed out on his bed. She claims he ignored her pleas and raped her before driving her home. Polanski may not need to attend the civil trial in person but could testify via live video feed if required. Source
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