Questioned by Judith Godrèche who filed a complaint against him for rape and by other actresses, director Jacques Doillon spoke out for the first time on these accusations.
Director Jacques Doillon responds to accusations of sexual assault against him. In an interview given to Parisian, Wednesday April 10, he claims to have “never had an intimate relationship with Judith Godrèche.” The 79-year-old filmmaker is the target of a complaint filed by Judith Godrèche for “rape of a 15-year-old minor by a person in authority”. He explains that he “never was attracted to her”. “I was living at the time with Jane (Birkin, editor’s note), with whom I was in love. Nothing happened with Judith either in an office or anywhere else,” he told the daily.
Judith Godrèche claims to have suffered sexual assault on the set of the film “The 15-year-old girl”. The filmmaker would have taken off the sweater of the young girl she was, then would have “groped” and “kissed” her, according to her. A version that the director denies. “The sex scene that Judith Godrèche talks about was written in the script. The one we shot is much more prudish than the one that was planned,” he explains.
Judith Godrèche’s complaint against Jacques Doillon was followed by other testimonies from actresses. The actress Isild le Besco reported “psychological or physical violence” and claimed to have been removed from a shoot after refusing to have sexual relations with Jacques Doillon. The 79-year-old filmmaker refutes this accusation. “I have never promised a role to anyone or taken advantage of my position as director to obtain sexual favors. In 35 films, it has happened once or twice to me to have romances with actresses, but I “I wasn’t a stalker,” says the director.
“Judith Godrèche opened the ball and made me her scapegoat. The other accusations followed her. It seems that the pack effect described in psychology applies there perfectly,” he asserts. A preliminary investigation was opened by the Paris prosecutor’s office concerning the accusations made by Judith Godrèche.