Judith Godrèche accuses French director Benoît Jacquot of rape
French actor Judith Godréche has offically filed a report to the police accusing director Benoit Jacquot of rape.
The two were in a romantic relationship which began in the late 1980s when Godréche was 14 and Jacquot was 40. The lawsuit follows an Instagram post made by Godréche last month, which read: “The little girl in me can no longer stay quiet. He is called Benoît Jacquot… He still manipulates those who might associate their names with mine. Bear witness. He threatens to take me to court for defamation.”
The actor publicly named Jacquot after previously alluding to their relationship during an interview with Elle in December. She told the publication: “If a 40-year-old man approached my daughter, I would kill him. Because I now have an adolescent daughter, I’ve realized what happened to me… I was navigating a world without rules or laws alone.”
According to the French newspaper Le Monde, Godréche conducted an interview with the Brigade for the Protection of Minors in Paris on February 6th, providing details of their relationship to the appropriate police department.
Godréche is being represented by lawyer Laure Heinich, who has since confirmed to AFP that the actor filed an official complaint to the police.
The actor said of her complaint to Le Monde: “It’s a story like the stories of children who are kidnapped. I would have liked Benoît to accept being my friend, rather than taking me. I didn’t want his body. Very quickly, he disgusted me.”
During their relationship, Godréche appeared in Jacquot’s films The Beggars and The Disenchanted.
The director has denied any wrongdoing, stating their relationship was “loving”. If Jacquot is convicted, he could face a maximum of twenty years in prison.
This is a developing story.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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