Judith Godrèche calls out film industry sexual violence in parliament
Actor Judith Godrèche has criticised the French film industry, urging an investigation into sexual violence within the sector during her address to senators in the upper house of parliament.
The hearing represents the first instance of an artist addressing the Senate regarding sexual and gender-based violence within the French film industry. Godrèche, a huge name in France’s #MeToo movement, joins many others with recent claims about the arts industries not taking sexual abuse seriously.
Godrèche explained to the senate’s women’s rights committee that the “incestuous” nature of the film industry reflects “all the families” impacted by violence and demanded the removal of Dominique Boutonnat, the president of the influential National Centre of Cinema (CNC), from his role. Boutonnat has been accused of sexually assaulting his godson in 2020, per The Guardian.
This follows Godrèche’s recent accusations claiming that directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon sexually assaulted her when she was younger, which they both deny. The actor entered a relationship with Jacquot, which began in the late 1980s when Godréche was 14 and Jacquot was 40.
Godrèche subsequently wrote an Instagram post about the accusations, 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.”
Godrèche first named Jacquot as her abuser after telling Elle: “If a 40-year-old man approached my daughter, I would kill him. Because I now have an adolescent daughter, I’ve realised what happened to me… I was navigating a world without rules or laws alone.”
Discussing the situation with Le Monde, she added: “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.”
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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