Samuel Theis, the French actor and director best known for starring in awards-season darling Anatomy of a Fall, has been accused of rape by a crew member on his new film.
The crew member alleged that Theis sexually assaulted them in the hours after an apartment party for the cast and crew of Je le jure, Theis’ third directorial effort, in early July. The alleged victim said they were too inebriated to consent to the encounter, which Theis has insisted was consensual, according to Libération. The French newspaper first reported details of the alleged assault on Friday.
The crew member left the shoot shortly after. Caroline Bonmarchand, a producer on the film, told Variety that she hired a third party to formally investigate the incident after learning of it. After the investigation began, Theis was booted off the set, but continued to direct the movie remotely, communicating via monitor, Bonmarchand said.
Bonmarchard said this allowed production to be completed, wrapping later that month. The probe remains ongoing, according to Variety.
The crew member has since filed an official police complaint, according to French outlet Télérama. But Theis’ lawyer said in a statement that neither she nor her client was aware of any police report or ongoing investigation.
“The only investigation on this case was ordered by the production and carried out by an independent organization,” the attorney said, according to Variety. She added that the internal probe had concluded, with a 300-page report having been delivered in September. “[T]he conclusion is that there were no elements qualifying what happened of a sexual assault.”
Anatomy of a Fall centers around a celebrated writer (Sandra Hüller) who comes under suspicion in the mysterious death of her husband, played by Theis. The film has been lauded since its French premiere at Cannes last year, where it picked up the coveted Palme d’Or.
The drama won two Golden Globes at Sunday night’s ceremony, where writer-director Justine Triet thanked the majority of her cast by name, but notably omitted Theis.
Anatomy of a Fall is considered to be a strong contender for March’s Academy Awards, though it will not be in the running for best international feature film after France made the controversial choice to submit culinary romance The Taste of Things instead.
