French director faces trial over alleged assault on teen star
The trial of French director Christophe Ruggia, accused of sexually abusing actress Adèle Haenel when she was a minor, has begun in Paris. "When I refused to have sex, he got angry," she stated.
In 2019, French actress Adèle Haenel spoke to journalists from the independent platform Mediapart about her troubling relationship with director Christophe Ruggia. "I would always sit on the couch, and he would sit on the chair opposite. Then he would move closer to me and start sticking to me. He kissed my neck, smelled my hair, stroked my thigh, and slowly moved his hand towards my crotch. He would start putting his hand under my shirt, looking for my breasts. He was aroused. I would push him away, but it wasn't enough; I always had to move. When I refused to have sex, he got angry," she publicly revealed.
Director accused, arrested, and brought to trial
Adèle was only 12 years old when her interaction with Ruggia began; he was already a recognized director at the time. She starred in his controversial film "Devils," which explored incestuous love among teenagers. "He often touched her, kissed her (...). I told myself that this is not the kind of relationship an adult should have with a child; it worried me. Ruggia, when preparing scenes, kept me away from the children," commented actress Hélène Seretti, who was responsible for looking after the young stars on the film set.
The investigation by journalists unveiled that Ruggia manipulated children on the film set and overstepped their boundaries. Numerous witnesses reported inappropriate behavior by the director towards the 12-year-old Adèle. Even his then-partner commented on the matter, attempting to confront him about the molestation allegations made by Adèle Haenel. He did not deny it, admitting instead that it was painful for him when she left. It is important to remember that she was underage.
In an interview with journalists, Adèle admitted that she repeatedly tried to inform her colleagues in the industry about what was happening between her and the director, but she was always told that Ruggia had done a lot for her and that without him she would be nothing. She finally confided in the director of her second film, Céline Sciamma. The breakthrough came in 2019 when a documentary on Michael Jackson came to light. Shocked by this story, she decided to speak about her own experiences.
Ruggia initially denied the accusations of molestation. However, he later issued a statement claiming it was not molestation but admiration. He suggested that Adèle accused him because he refused her a role. After Mediapart published the article, prosecutors decided to open an investigation against the director. The process moved quickly. Ruggia was arrested, his home was searched, and shortly thereafter, he was charged with the sexual assault of a minor.
Now, foreign media outlets are reporting on the next stage of this scandalous case. The trial against the director has commenced in Paris. Haenel claims Ruggia molested her for three years, starting with the film shoot in 2001 when she was 12, and the director was 36. The abuse allegedly continued during promotional events and film festivals. Ruggia still denies the charges.
According to the Deadline portal, the trial is seen as groundbreaking for the #MeToo movement in France. Haenel risked her career by revealing the allegations, as the country was not yet open to the #MeToo movement and the actress did not receive broad support from the film industry. Today, people gathered outside the court with banners reading, "Adèle, we believe you."
Adèle Haenel has quit acting. Her last role was in "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" from 2019. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a special award at the Cannes Film Festival. Haenel could have successfully continued her career in the film industry but chose not to. In 2020, Haenel left the César Awards ceremony when Roman Polanski was announced as the winner in the Best Director category for the film "An Officer and a Spy." This event was seen as a slap in the face for the actress due to unresolved charges against Polanski. In 2023, Haenel announced in an open letter that she was leaving the film industry because of the "general leniency" towards "sexual predators."
