Cannes Film Festival BANS Actor Amid Sexual Assault Allegations
Cannes film festival
said it had barred an actor in a prominent French film from the red carpet on Thursday because of
sexual assault allegations
against him.
Theo Navarro-Mussy
has a secondary role as a police officer in the film "
Dossier 137
" by Dominik Moll which is to premiere on Thursday in the festival's main competition.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
According to French magazine Telerama, which broke the news, the actor was accused of rape by three former partners in 2018, 2019, and 2020, but the case was dropped last month for lack of evidence.
The three women plan to appeal and file a civil lawsuit, Telerama said.
Cannes Festival
director
Thierry Fremaux
confimed to Telerama that Navarro-Mussy had been excluded because an appeal was underway. Navarro-Mussy's lawyer denied this.
"The procedure is still ongoing," Fremaux was quoted as saying.
The festival confirmed the decision and Fremaux's remarks when contacted by AFP.
A French parliamentary inquiry into the entertainment industry published its findings last month, with MPs concluding that abuse of performers was "endemic".
Inquiry chair Sandrine Rousseau, an outspoken feminist lawmaker from The Greens party, called on Cannes Festival to set an example in stamping out sexual abuse, as well as physical and psychological violence.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
France's Culture Minister Rachida Dati to stand trial for corruption and lobbying
Dati, a high-profile minister who hopes to become mayor of Paris next year, was investigated in 2019 on suspicion of lobbying for the Renault-Nissan auto firm while working at the European Union agency read more France's Culture Minister Rachida Dati is to go on trial accused of receiving payments from Renault-Nissan while she was a member of European Parliament. File image/AFP Rachida Dati, France's Culture Minister, will face trial on charges of corruption and abuse of authority as a member of the European Parliament, a court source told AFP on Tuesday. Dati, a high-profile minister who hopes to become mayor of Paris next year, was investigated in 2019 on suspicion of lobbying for the Renault-Nissan auto firm while working at the European Union agency. Dati, aged 59, denies the allegations. She did not return an AFP request for comment. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We will appeal this decision today,' Dati's lawyers, Olivier Baratelli and Olivier Pardo, told AFP. Dati, a daughter of working-class North African immigrants, was defiant. 'I will lead you to victory. Some people are trying to attack me over my private life, over many aspects that are collateral to my candidacy,' said Dati, who is mayor of the French capital's 7th district that is home to most French ministries, the country's parliament and many foreign embassies. 'I am not afraid of anything or anyone.' Dati, who served as justice minister under right-wing leader Nicolas Sarkozy from 2007 to 2009, will continue in office, according to a Macron colleague. 'The president has taken note of the decision to refer Rachida Dati to the criminal court. As a referral is not a conviction, she will continue her work,' said the associate, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Dati is suspected of taking 900,000 euros in lawyer's fees from a Renault-Nissan company in the Netherlands between 2010 and 2012 while not working for them throughout her tenure as an MEP from 2009 to 2019. 'Until the end' Investigations have sought to determine whether she carried out banned lobbying for the carmaker at the European Parliament. In their order signed on Tuesday, a copy of which was seen by AFP, the investigating magistrates said that Dati's activities in parliament 'amounts to lobbying', which 'appears incompatible with both her mandate and the profession of lawyer.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Initially placed under the more favourable status of assisted witness – a step before being indicted – in 2019, Dati was charged in 2021. She has since repeatedly sought to have the charges quashed. French investigating magistrates also ordered that Carlos Ghosn, the former Renault-Nissan chairman and chief executive, be tried, the judicial source said. The 71-year-old, who has been living in Lebanon for years after escaping arrest in Japan, has also rejected the charges against him. A hearing on September 29 will decide on the date of the trial, the source said. According to another source following the case, the trial could be held after the Paris municipal elections in March next year. 'She will go until the end,' Jean-Pierre Lecoq, mayor of the French capital's 6th district and one of Dati's close associates, said on Tuesday. Ghosn, who headed the Renault-Nissan alliance, was arrested in Japan in November 2018 on suspicion of financial misconduct, before being sacked by Nissan's board. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He jumped bail the following year and made a dramatic escape from Japan hidden in an audio-equipment box, landing in Beirut, where he remains as an international fugitive. Japan and France have sought his arrest. Ghosn's lawyers did not respond to a request for comment.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Ghislaine Maxwell to testify about Jeffrey Epstein, US Congress to subpoena her: What we know
US Congress is set to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell to testify about the Jeffrey Epstein case. Republican Tim Burchett introduced a motion to compel Maxwell to testify before the House Oversight Committee, The Guardian reported. Ghislaine Maxwell to testify about Jeffrey Epstein (Photo by Handout / US District Court for the Southern District of New York / AFP)(AFP) 'We've just got to get to the bottom of this thing, folks,' Burchett said in a statement posted on X. 'It's four years and we don't need to tolerate this stuff any more.' Burchett explained that he had introduced the motion directing James Comer, chairman of the committee, to authorize and issue a subpoena for Maxwell. Comer was 'down with it,' Burchett said, adding, 'I believe he's going to issue the subpoena. He's a stand-up guy.' Burchett said he knows he would receive 'blow back, and folks up here are going to be mad at me, but ultimately and with all sincerity, I'm gonna answer my creator on this issue.' Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence at present. 'She's the last one standing' Burchett confirmed to Axios that he did not consult President Donald Trump before calling on the committee to subpoena Maxwell. However, he had written to Comer in the past, urging him to make Maxwell testify. 'She's the last one standing,' Burchett said of Maxwell. 'There's nobody else alive that can tell us anything.' Burchett added that he believes Maxwell could 'tell us the operation, how it went down, who were the supporters of it ... ultimately I'd like to see justice.' Meanwhile, a spokesperson also confirmed to the New York Post that the GOP-led House Oversight Committee will 'seek to subpoena' Maxwell for testimony 'as expeditiously as possible. 'Since Ms. Maxwell is in federal prison, the Committee will work with the Department of Justice and Bureau of Prisons to identify a date when Committee can depose her,' a committee rep said. This announcement comes hours after the justice department revealed its plan to send Todd Blanche, the US deputy attorney general, to Florida to meet with Maxwell. Meanwhile, Trump asked attorney general Pam Bondi last week to ask a court to release all relevant grand jury testimony in the Epstein case. Maxwell attorney David Oscar Markus later confirmed on social media that 'we are in discussions with the government and that Ghislaine will always testify truthfully.'
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Jafar Panahi named Asian Filmmaker of the Year at Busan International Film Festival
Renowned Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, known for world cinema classics like "The White Balloon", "Offside", "The Circle" and "3 Faces", has been named the 'Asian Filmmaker of the Year' by the Busan International Film Festival. The award is presented to an Asian film figure or organization that has made the most significant contribution to the development of the Asian film industry and culture. (Also read: Cannes Film Festival: Jafar Panahi wins Palme d'Or for It Was Just an Accident, Sentimental Value gets Grand Prix) Iranian director, screenwriter and producer Jafar Panahi recently won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. (Photo by Steven Markham / AFP)(AFP) Panahi is a revered figure in the international cinema community but in Iran he has consistently faced restrictions for his art. He was imprisoned three years ago and went on a hunger strike. Despite obstacles, Panahi has continued to make films be it 'This Is Not a Film', which he made in his living room while under house arrest or 'Taxi', which was set in a car. Official statement "As a towering figure in Iranian cinema, the director has explored the existence and freedom of individuals living amid censorship and political repression. Capturing the political and social contradictions of Iranian society from a countercultural perspective, he has continued to create films in secret, courageously submitting them to international film festivals despite repeated arrests, custody, detention, travel bans, and a stated-imposed filmmaking ban," BIFF said in their release. "At a time when making films in my country becomes more difficult every day, this recognition reminds me that cinema can still connect us beyond borders, languages, and limitations. I not only accept this award in my own name, but also on behalf of all those who, in silence, in exile, or under pressure, continue to create," Panahi said in his statement to the festival. The filmmaker's "It was Just an Accident" won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival in May this year. Panahi won Venice festival's Golden Lion for 'The Circle' in 2002 and the Golden Bear at the Berlin film festival for 'Taxi' in 2015. The filmmaker's accomplishments also include Locarno's Golden Leopard for 'The Mirror' in 1997 and Cannes' screenplay prize for '3 Faces' in 2018. Panahi will be receiving the award at the festival's opening ceremony, scheduled on September 17. The festival will run till September 26. (via PTI inputs)
