Judith Godrèche, a famous French actress, recently made sexual abuse allegations against director Jacques Doillon. The incidents allegedly occurred when she was only 15 years old. These revelations come after the actress filed a complaint for rape of a minor against Benoît Jacquot. The events are said to have taken place between 1986 and 1992, a period during which she worked with both men.
The actress shared disturbing details about Doillon’s behavior. During the filming of a movie, after having dismissed an actor, Doillon reportedly decided to play a love scene himself, imposing advances on Judith Godrèche. She describes this experience as extremely painful, both for her and for Jane Birkin — who had her daughter Lou Doillon with the director —, who was present on the set at the time.
At the same time, new testimonies accusing Benoît Jacquot of similar behaviors are emerging. Actress Julia Roy among others, speaks of the actor’s manipulative and abusive behaviors, while others denounce physical and moral violence.
With the controversy surrounding Gérard Depardieu still ongoing, this case suggests a more systemic problem within French cinema. The imminent release of Jacques Doillon’s CE2 and Benoît Jacquot’s Belle raises questions about how their work will be received, given these accusations.
Doillon, recently appeared in a documentary alongside media psychoanalyst Gérard Miller who, according to the magazine Elle, allegedly sexually assaulted 40 women. To date, only one complaint has been filed against the psychoanalyst who denies everything. The justice will decide in the coming months…