'The Fifth Element' director Luc Besson under investigation for rape
Luc Besson, director of The Fifth Element and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, is under investigation by French authorities for alleged rape.
The accusation comes from a formal complaint lodged by an unnamed 27-year-old French actress. A report from French media outlet Europe 1 (h/t The Hollywood Reporter) notes that the two have known each other for a number of years.
The complaint, which was brought forward on Friday morning, states that Besson added something to the accuser's tea during a meeting at Le Bristol, a Paris hotel. It goes on to state that she fell unconscious after drinking the beverage, and she awoke to the director "touching and penetrating her" (THR's words).
Besson allegedly departed soon after, leaving behind an undisclosed amount of money. The woman left the hotel after that, fleeing to the safety of a friend's home.
The complaint led French police to open an investigation into the matter. While Mashable hasn't yet received any response to a request for comment from Besson's representation, his lawyer, Thierry Marembert, issued a denial to THR.
"Mr. Besson fell from his chair when he learned of these accusations, which he flatly denies," the statement reads.
Topics Film Celebrities
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
