Roman Polanski

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Polanski Averts Civil Trial on Accusation of Raping Teen

Director, plaintiff, reach out-of-court settlement in 1973 case

(Newser) - Roman Polanski will not face a civil trial after all over allegations he raped a teenage girl five decades ago. Attorneys for the director and the plaintiff said Wednesday that they reached an out-of-court settlement, NBC News reports, resulting in dismissal of the case that was scheduled for trial next...

Court: Polanski Didn't Defame Rape Accuser

He called Charlotte Lewis' accusation a 'heinous lie'

(Newser) - A French court acquitted filmmaker Roman Polanski on Tuesday of defaming a British actor whom he accused of lying after she alleged that he sexually assaulted her as a teenager. The case stems from a 2019 interview with Paris Match magazine where Polanski accused Charlotte Lewis of "a heinous...

Protesters Strip, Disrupt Woody Allen Premiere
Not Everyone Was Happy
at Woody Allen Premiere
the rundown
Sep 5, 2023 9:20 AM CDT

Not Everyone Was Happy at Woody Allen Premiere

Protesters scuffled with cops, slammed organizers for featuring directors accused of sexual abuse

(Newser) - There was chaos on the red carpet at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on Monday as protesters scuffled with police while shouting "Abusers!" and "No rape culture!" The Italian film festival is premiering new films by three directors accused of sexual misconduct: Woody Allen, Roman...

A Transcript Is Unsealed, and It Backs Polanski's Claim

Prosecutor testified that judge privately revealed he'd break his promise, send Polanski to prison

(Newser) - A Los Angeles judge privately told lawyers he would renege on a promise and imprison Roman Polanski for having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977, a former prosecutor testified, setting the stage for the renowned director to flee the US as a fugitive. A previously sealed transcript obtained...

LA County DA: Unseal Secret Transcript in Polanski Case

Filmmaker's lawyers say testimony of ex-prosecutor could free Polanski in 1977 sex abuse case

(Newser) - Twice, Roman Polanski's legal team has tried to resolve his sexual abuse case in the US, to no avail. They're hoping the third time will be the charm, as the current Los Angeles County district attorney has agreed to unseal an important transcript that his predecessors have kept...

Radio Station Sorry for Killing Off Queen, 99 Others

Obituaries mistakenly published during RFI website work

(Newser) - Dozens of political leaders, cultural figures, and celebrities did not die en masse on Monday, though anyone perusing the website of Radio France Internationale might have thought otherwise. Obituaries for roughly 100 people were mistakenly published—and some automatically picked up by partner sites such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN—...

Polanski Won a Big Award. They Stood Up–but Not to Clap

Actresses walk out after Polanski, accused of child rape in '70s, wins best director at Cesars in France

(Newser) - France had its version of the Academy Awards Friday night, and, not surprisingly, there was some controversy surrounding Roman Polanski. The 86-year-old director—who didn't attend the Cesars because he was afraid he'd be "lynched," per Reuters —won big, taking home best director for his...

Mass Resignation to Restore 'Calm' After Polanski Film Noms

All board members of France's Cesar Academy to resign after Polanski backlash

(Newser) - The equivalent of France's Academy Awards will be held later this month, and one film in particular has racked up a dozen nominations—and the controversy surrounding that fact has now led to a big move from the board that oversees the honors. The BBC reports that all 21...

'French Oscars' Spark Outrage With 12 Polanski Nominations

The director has been accused of multiple sexual assaults

(Newser) - Roman Polanski has sparked outrage anew with his latest film, An Officer and a Spy, which was just nominated for a dozen high-profile film awards in France. The Polish-born director, who fled the US after admitting to raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977, is "an abuser and rapist on...

45 Years After Stay at Polanski's Chalet, a 'Time Bomb'

Former model claims 'extremely violent' rape at hands of director in 1975, when she was 18

(Newser) - A new accusation has emerged against Roman Polanski, this time from a Frenchwoman who says the film director raped her in 1975, when she was 18. The Guardian reports that former model Valentine Monnier gave her account to Le Parisien , claiming she was staying at Polanski's ski chalet with...

Fugitive Director Sues Academy Over Expulsion

Roman Polanski was kicked out along with Bill Cosby

(Newser) - Roman Polanski has sued to win back membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, NBC reports. The organization expelled him last year, along with comedian Bill Cosby, in response to growing condemnation involving sexual assault allegations. The director has been a fugitive since 1978, when he left...

Film Academy Boots Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences boots them after sexual assault scandals

(Newser) - The organization that bestows the Academy Awards announced Thursday that it has voted to expel two prominent members convicted of sexual offenses, Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski, from its membership. It's the first major decision since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences implemented revised standards of conduct...

New Claim on Polanski: He Molested Me When I Was 10

Woman claims he sexually abused her during 1975 photo shoot

(Newser) - Los Angeles detectives said Tuesday they're investigating a woman's claim that Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski molested her in 1975, when she was 10 years old. But the statute of limitations has long expired, so criminal charges couldn't be brought even if proven, reports the AP , though law...

New Rape Accusations Against Roman Polanski

German former actress says director raped her in 1972 when she was 15

(Newser) - Roman Polanski is now facing sexual assault charges from a fourth woman, the New York Times reports. Renate Langer says the director raped her in February 1972 when she was 15 years old. The 61-year-old former actress says she was visiting Polanski, who she met while working at a modeling...

New Polanski Accuser Comes Forward

She says director sexually assaulted her as minor

(Newser) - Another woman has accused director Roman Polanski of sexually assaulting her when she was a minor—and her lawyer says she hopes more victims will come forward. The 59-year-old woman, who gave her name only as Robin, says Polanski abused her in 1973, when she was 16 years old, the...

Polanski's Victim Will Appear in Court—to Support Him

'She's tired of this case,' lawyer says of Samantha Geimer

(Newser) - The victim of Roman Polanski's sex assault 40 years ago is going to appeal directly to a judge to end the long-running case against the fugitive director, his lawyer says. Samantha Geimer, 13 at the time of the crime, has long supported Polanski's efforts to end the legal...

Judge: Polanski Has to Return to LA for Sentencing

He rejects attempt to end sex abuse case

(Newser) - A Los Angeles judge on Monday rejected Roman Polanski's bid to end his long-running underage sex abuse case without the fugitive director appearing in court or being sentenced to more prison time. Superior Court Judge Scott M. Gordon refused to address how Polanski would be sentenced if he returned...

Lawyer: Honor Polanski's Secret Deal, Let Him Come Back

Says LA court should let director come back to US without jail time

(Newser) - It's been 40 years since Roman Polanski set foot on the US mainland, but the disgraced director is said to want to square things up and come back to America without facing jail time, TMZ reports. What needs squaring: his punishment for raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977 at...

Polanski's Gig Hosting France's Oscars Met With Outrage

France's minister for women's rights calls it 'shocking'

(Newser) - The pick of Roman Polanski to lead the jury for the annual Cesars—France's version of the Oscars—was met with outrage this week, AFP reports. France's minister for women's rights calls it "surprising and shocking" and the "banalization of rape." Polanksi pleaded guilty...

Poland Has Made a Final Decision on Roman Polanski

The director won't be extradited back to the US

(Newser) - Efforts to extradite Roman Polanski from Poland have come to a "definitive end," with the Oscar-winning director staying put in Europe, Reuters reports. According to the BBC , Polanski fled the US in 1978 after admitting to having sex with a 13-year-old girl. The US sought his extradition from...

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