(Paris) A French court on Tuesday found filmmaker Roman Polanski not guilty of defamation against a British actress whom he called a liar after she accused him of sexual assault.
The case stems from a 2019 interview with the magazine Paris Matchin which Polanski allegedly called Charlotte Lewis a liar following her allegations.
PHOTO GONZALO FUENTES, REUTERS
Charlotte Lewis and her lawyer Benjamin Chouai
The court’s decision did not address the veracity of the sexual assault allegation, but focused only on whether Polanski’s comments during the interview constituted defamation of Lewis .
Polanski has denied the accusations.
The verdict was delivered Tuesday afternoon before a Paris court.
Lewis said she felt disappointed by the verdict and would appeal.
“I feel sad,” she confided. For us, it’s not over. »
Polanski was not present in court. His lawyer Delphine Meillet called him to tell him the news. She said the court recognized his right to challenge those making accusations against him. She noted that the verdict came on the opening day of the Cannes Film Festival, calling it a “symbolic day.”
Polanski had refuted Lewis’ sexual assault allegations during the 2019 interview with Paris Match, describing them as “abhorrent lies”. Lewis had claimed the comments were defamatory, launching a legal battle against the 90-year-old director, known for classics such as Rosemary’s Baby, Chinatown And The Pianist.
Lewis, who first went public with her allegations in 2010, claimed that Polanski “sexually assaulted (her) in the worst way possible when (she) was just 16 years old,” referring to a incident that occurred in 1983 in Paris during a casting session for his film Pirates.
The filmmaker has faced several other sexual assault accusations that allegedly occurred over several decades, including a notable case from 1977 where he was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in the United States. He pleaded guilty, but fled to Europe in 1978 before sentencing could take place.