An anonymous, 27-year-old actress has filed a complaint with the Parisian police, accusing French filmmaker Luc Besson of raping her on Thursday night. She claims that the assault occurred at Le Bristol hotel in Paris, alleging that she had a cup of tea, “then felt unwell and lost consciousness,” according to a report by the A.F.P. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the actress said that when she regained consciousness, Besson was touching and penetrating her. He then exited the hotel, leaving her with a wad of bills. The pair have allegedly known each other for years, the A.F.P. notes.
Besson—the filmmaker behind movies like The Fifth Element and Lucy—has denied these “fantasist accusations,” his lawyer, Thierry Marembert, told the outlet. He stated that the complainant is someone Besson knows, “towards whom he has never behaved inappropriately.” In a statement to T.H.R., Marembert added that Besson “fell off his chair when he learned of these accusations.” Besson has been married to producer Virginie Besson-Silla since 2004, and the pair have three children together. He has been married three times before, and has two children from those previous relationships.
Parisian police opened an investigation into Besson after the complaint was filed on Friday, per the A.F.P. Besson is reportedly out of the country and has not been questioned.
The allegations against the French director arrive in the wake of the reckoning that has reshaped the conversation around sexual misconduct in the film industry. The Cannes Film Festival, the latest prestige event to draw the eyes of the global film community, addressed the needs of the ongoing movement by questioning its culture, installing a sexual misconduct hotline, and inviting stars like Asia Argento to speak at Saturdays closing ceremony. The actress and director has claimed that Harvey Weinstein raped her at the festival in 1997, a claim she repeated on the Cannes stage (Weinstein, through a spokesperson, has denied all allegations of nonconsensual acts).
“I was 21 years old,” she said. “The festival was his hunting ground.”
She then added that “there are those who still have to be held accountable.” When asked by T.H.R. if she was aware of allegations against Besson while making her speech, Argento claimed that she had “known for eight months.” (There have not previously been public rape allegations against Besson.)
Besson is one of the most celebrated filmmakers in France, landing 10 César nominations and releasing high-profile films like La Femme Nikita and Léon: The Professional. His latest film, Valerian, was a hit in his native country, as well as the global market at large, though it was a flop in the U.S. It is still the most expensive French movie ever made.
Get Vanity Fairs HWD NewsletterSign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood.Yohana DestaYohana Desta is a Hollywood writer for VanityFair.com.
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