Controversial filmmaker Roman Polanski is set to face a defamation trial in Paris on Tuesday, following his denouncement of sexual assault accusations levelled against him by British actress Charlotte Lewis as an "odious lie".
The 90-year-old Franco-Polish director, currently residing in Paris, is not expected to appear in court; he will instead be represented by his legal team. Charlotte Lewis (56), who resides in the United Kingdom, will be present at the trial.
Three-time Oscar and Palme d'Or winner Polanski has faced a string of sexual assault allegations throughout his career, all of which are now statute-barred, and none of which have prevented him from continuing to work in film despite his denials.
Lewis claimed in May 2010 that Polanski had sexually assaulted her during an audition at his Paris home in 1983, when she was just 16 years old. The actress, who later starred in Polanski's 1986 film 'Pirates', did not go to the police in the UK, but instead shared her account with the American police.
In December 2019, Polanski refuted these accusations as an "odious lie" in a Paris Match interview, arguing that inconsistencies in Lewis' account were being ignored.
Polanski referenced a quote attributed to Lewis from a 1999 interview with News of the World, in which she allegedly remarked: "I wanted to be his mistress […] I probably desired him more than he did me." Lewis disputed the quote's accuracy in 2010.
'Smearing, discrediting, defaming'
Following Polanski's Paris Match interview, Lewis filed a defamation lawsuit, which led to the subsequent magistrate hearing – a near-automatic procedure in press law where the substance of the accusations are examined during the trial.
Polanski's legal team denied any defamation in their client's comments made to Paris Match: "Roman Polanski has the right to defend himself publicly, on the same basis as the person accusing him," said lawyer Delphine Meillet, who, alongside Alain Jakubowicz, defends Polanski. In her defence at the trial, she summoned Stuart White, the author of the News of the World article about Lewis.
"Smearing, discrediting, defaming; these are all integral parts of the Polanski system — as exposed courageously by Charlotte Lewis," stated her lawyer, Benjamin Chouai.
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Born in Paris in 1933, Polanski has been living in Europe for over four decades, just out of reach of the American judiciary, which has considered him a fugitive since his conviction for unlawful sexual relations with a minor.
In 2020, despite new rape allegations, Polanski was awarded Best Director at the César Awards for his film 'An Officer and a Spy' about the Dreyfus affair, which led actress Adèle Haenel to walk out of the ceremony. This incident has since become a symbol of the struggle against sexual violence in the film industry.
Polanski has since kept a low profile. His defamation trial comes amidst the backdrop of another scandal shaking the film world, as actress Judith Godrèche has filed a lawsuit for minor rape against directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon.
