French actor Samuel Theis, known for starring in the recent Golden Globe-winning drama Anatomy Of A Fall, has been accused of rape.
According to Variety, he was removed from a film he was directing, titled Je Le Jure, following a claim from a crew member that he was sexually assaulted by Theis. A French newspaper, Liberation, published in a report that the incident allegedly happened in July 2023 after a party.
The crew member, who remains unnamed, claimed that he stayed at the apartment where the party was held, and was raped in the morning by Theis. Theis has denied the claim, saying that it was consensual.
The alleged sexual assault took place halfway through shooting, and Theis reportedly directed the remainder of the film remotely.
Samuel Theis attends a press conference for the film ‘Anatomie d’une Chute’ (Anatomy of a Fall) during the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 22, 2023. CREDIT: Getty/Photo by Julie SEBADELHA / AFP
Variety reported that the movie’s producer, Caroline Bonmarchand, brought in a third-party organization to carry out an internal investigation within the cast and crew, after finding out about the incident. This investigation is said to have resulted in Theis’ removal from the movie set.
According to The Guardian, Bonmarchand said: “In the end, what we’re discovering is that no matter how many kits, white papers and resources we have, when it comes to actually dealing with this type of situation, we’re not equipped.”
A report in Telemara magazine claims that the crew member filed an official complaint with authorities following the alleged assault. Theis’ attorney, Marie Dosé told Variety that she was unaware of such a complaint, or the ongoing investigation.
Dosé said: “The only investigation on this case was ordered by the production and carried out by an independent organization. It was delivered in September and it was 300 pages long — the conclusion is that there were no elements qualifying what happened of a sexual assault.”
She also added that the report involved a witness who had entered the bedroom where Theis and the crew member were, but described it as a “tender moment”.
Anatomy Of A Fall was awarded Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language at the Golden Globe Awards on January 7, 2024.
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