Rust and bone and The Old Guard star Matthias Schoenaerts has been sentenced to six months in prison following driving offences, according to Belgian news agency Belga.The internationally recognized actor was sentenced in absentia after failing to appear in a Belgian court.
Schoenaerts, who is slated to appear as the villain in the upcoming DC film *Supergirl*, received the sentence due to two instances in 2024 of operating a motorbike without a valid license, despite a previous driving ban issued in 2021.This conviction underscores a pattern of legal trouble for the actor related to driving, and raises questions about potential consequences for his career and future projects.
According to Belga, Schoenaerts was required to take remedial driving exams but did not do so. He has also been fined €4,000 and received a new one-year driving ban.
court spokesperson Luc De Cleir told Belga that the likelihood of Schoenaerts serving jail time is “almost nonexistent,” and that the actor has the option to appeal the ruling.
Belgian national news agency reports Schoenaerts has 11 prior convictions for driving offences. Further legal issues might potentially be on the horizon, as the agency reports he was stopped by police in Pelt, Belgium, last month for again driving without a license, refusing a breath test, and allegedly “behaving aggressively” when his vehicle was towed. He was detained for several hours, and these new incidents are currently under examination.
Schoenaerts first gained international recognition with his performance in the 2011 Oscar-nominated film *Bullhead*. He has as appeared in a number of high-profile productions, including *Rust and Bone*, *The Danish Girl*, *Red Sparrow*, *Far From The Madding Crowd*, *The Old Guard*, and the TV series *The Regime*.
Requests for comment have been sent to the Beringen court in Belgium and representatives for Schoenaerts.
