A French court on Tuesday acquitted filmmaker Roman Polanski of defaming a British actor he accused of lying when the actress alleged he sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager.

The case stems from a 2019 interview with Paris Match magazine where Polanski accused Charlotte Lewis of “heinous lies” that he raped her in the 1980s when she was 16 years old.

The Paris court’s ruling did not address the truth of the rape allegation, instead focusing solely on whether the 90-year-old Polanski’s comments in the interview constituted defamation against Lewis. Polanski denied the allegations.

British actress Charlotte Lewis arrives for the verdict in her defamation case against filmmaker Roman Polanski at a court in Paris, France on May 14, 2024. Photo Credit: Gonzalo Fuentes

Lewis said she was disappointed by the decision and would appeal.

“I feel sad,” she said. “For us, it’s not over.”

Polanski was not in court. His lawyer, Delphine Meillet, called him from the courtroom to announce the news, saying: “We won, Roman.”

Speaking to reporters later, he said the court had recognized his right to challenge those who make allegations against him. He said the decision came on the opening day of the Cannes Film Festival, calling it “a symbolic day”.

“The question the court answered was whether you can defend yourself publicly when you are publicly accused. The answer is yes. You can challenge the allegations, you can doubt the allegations,” the lawyer said. “This is a victory for the rights of defense.”

Polanski, known for such classics as “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Chinatown” and “The Pianist,” also suggested to Paris Match that Lewis was a bad liar and may have committed the crime out of “desperation.” Because he has been falsely accused.

Lewis first made public Her allegations against Polanski in 2010 alleged that “he sexually abused me in the worst way possible when I was just 16 years old,” citing a 1983 incident in Paris during a casting session for his film “Pirates.” Referring to.

When her defamation case was heard in Paris in March, Lewis testified that she did not file a rape suit against Polanski in 2010 because too much time had passed for her allegations to be heard, the court said in its ruling Tuesday. Said in summary.

The film producer has reportedly faced several other allegations of sexual assault over the decades, including a notable case from 1977 where he was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in the United States. He pleaded guilty Convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, but fled to Europe in 1978 before sentencing.