The first big case #MeToo concerning the French film industry reached the court, with the director Christophe Ruggia to sit in the dock of the accused for the sexual abuse of the actress, Adele Enel (Adèle Haenel).

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A post shared by Adèle Haenel (@adelehaenel)

The 35-year-old actress accuses the 59-year-old director of sexual assaults that took place in the early 2000s, when she was 12 to 14 years old, and began with the filming of the movie “Les Diables.” The particular film – the first role of the actress in the cinema – contained sexual scenes between minors and close-ups of the naked body of the then 12-year-old girl.

Adèle Haenel claims that the famous director molested her, touching her genitals, breasts and thighs, when she visited him, between 2001 and 2004. The director denies the accusations, while in court he gave “present” and his ex-partner, Mona Asas.

The director had admitted that he had made an “unfortunate gesture” to the actress, touching her breast, while they were watching a movie together on the couch. In fact, he said he was madly in love with her. His sister also testified in court.

The actress lashed out at the director, shouting at him to “shut it”, after he claimed he was trying to protect her from teasing her classmates at school over the film’s nudity. The actress stormed out of the courtroom, returning half an hour later with her lawyer.

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A post shared by Adèle Haenel (@adelehaenel)

Adèle Haenel left the cinema in 2022, accusing the venue of covering up incidents of abuse. She was among the first celebrities in France to protest strongly at Roman Polanski’s award at the 2020 Cesar Awards, walking out of the ceremony.

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A post shared by Adèle Haenel (@adelehaenel)