Polish director Roman Polanski is now embroiled in a fresh lawsuit alleging he drugged and raped a minor in the 1970s, according to recent court filings. As Hollywood grapples with its complex and often dark history, this development marks another disturbing chapter concerning the celebrated yet controversial filmmaker.
The legal action, brought forth in Los Angeles Superior Court by an unnamed plaintiff, has recently named Polanski as the defendant after initially being filed under anonymity last year. Noted attorney Gloria Allred, known for taking on high-profile cases involving sexual assault, represents the plaintiff. The accusation details an incident whereby Polanski, after meeting the teenage girl at a party, extended an invitation to dinner. The evening that followed is now at the center of the allegations against Polanski.
According to the accusations, after providing the teenager with alcohol, the evening took a turn upon returning to Polanski’s residence. The plaintiff claims to have awoken to find Polanski beside her, initiating sexual acts against her will. Reports state that despite her protests, Polanski ignored her objections and sexually assaulted her. The charges not only include rape but also allegations of sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
This case emerges within the scope of an amendment to California’s statute of limitations that was instituted in 2020. This amendment allows victims of childhood sexual assault extended time frames in which to file legal actions, thus providing the plaintiff the opportunity to pursue this case despite the decades that have elapsed since the alleged assault.
Polanski has lived for many years as a fugitive in Europe, primarily between France and Poland, following a rape case involving 13-year-old Samantha Geimer in 1977. Although he initially struck a plea deal, the director fled the United States upon learning that the presiding judge might rescind the agreement, which could lead to a considerably longer prison sentence. Despite Geimer advocating in recent years for the court to dismiss the still-open criminal case and sentence Polanski to the time already served in absentia, the court has maintained its position, keeping the case active.
Adding to the complexity of Polanski’s legal situation are ongoing affairs in France, where he faces a defamation trial, and efforts to unseal testimony that may unveil judicial misconduct in his initial U.S. case. In the French trial, Polanski has been accused of defaming British actress Charlotte Lewis by labeling her own sexual assault allegations “a monstrous lie.” Lewis claims she was victimized by Polanski in the 1980s.
These multiple strands of legal battles highlight the enduring controversy surrounding Polanski — a filmmaker who has continued to work and gain accolades despite the cloud of his past. Additionally, the potential unsealing of testimony from his original case may come to bear on Polanski’s possibility of returning to the U.S. to face the long-standing charges.
While Poland and France have, to date, rebuffed all extradition attempts from the U.S., the outcomes of the defamation suit and the possibility of newly uncovered evidence from the original trial’s hidden testimonies could dramatically alter the director’s circumstances.
Roman Polanski’s artistic achievements in world cinema, notably films like “Chinatown” and “The Pianist,” remain overshadowed by his fugitive status and the allegations of sexual misconduct that continue to surface. This latest lawsuit suggests that the reexamination of Polanski’s past is far from complete and that the reckoning for alleged injustices in Hollywood has yet to reach its conclusion.
