After describing British actress Charlotte Lewis’ accusations of sexual assault against him as “a disgusting slander,” French-Polish director Roman Polanski will appear on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in court in Paris on charges of defamation. The lawyer for the 90-year-old director, who lives in Paris, stated that he would not appear before the seventeenth chamber of the Criminal Court. While Charlotte Lewis, 56 years old and residing in the United Kingdom, will be present at this session.
Published on: 03/03/2024 – 16:52
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Roman Polanski, winner of three Oscars and the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, faced many accusations of sexual assault and rape throughout his career, but these accusations had expired and the director constantly denied them, nor did they prevent him from continuing his work.
In May 2010, during the Cannes Film Festival, Charlotte Lewis accused him of “sexually assaulting” her during a casting at his home in Paris in 1983, when she was 16 years old.
However, actress Charlotte Lewis, who appeared in the movie “Pirates” directed by Polanski in 1986, did not file a complaint against him at the time, but rather gave testimony on this matter before the American police.
Nine years later, in December 2019, Roman Polanski, during an interview with Paris Match magazine, described Charlotte Lewis’ accusations as “a disgusting slander.” Which prompted the actress to file a complaint against Polanski for defamation, which led to him being referred to court. The referral occurs almost automatically in the Press Law, to examine the basis of the accusations during judicial hearings.
But Roman Polanski’s defense agents deny any defamation in the words he made to Paris Match magazine. “Roman Polanski has the right to defend himself publicly, just like the person he accuses,” said his lawyer, Delphine Meillet.
As for Charlotte Lewis’s lawyer, Benjamin Shuai, he stated, “Defamation, distortion of reputation, and damage to credibility are an integral part of the Polanski regime, and this is what Charlotte Lewis denounces with great courage.”
Roman Polanski, born in Paris in 1933, lives in Europe away from the American judiciary, which considers him a fugitive from justice for more than forty years after he was convicted of illicit sexual relations with a minor.
In 2020, Polanski won the César Award for Best Director for his film Jacques, centered on the Dreyfus case, shortly after a new rape charge was brought against him, prompting French actress Adele Enel to leave the party.
Subsequently, this incident became a symbol of the fight against sexual violence in the film industry. Since then, Roman Polanski has adopted a reserved behavior.
