Roman Polanski, the Oscar-winning director who fled the U.S. after pleading guilty to statutory rape in 1977, has settled a separate civil case involving an alleged sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl in 1973. The lawsuit, set for trial next summer, has since been dismissed, according to AFP.
Filed in June of last year, the lawsuit accused Polanski of sexually assaulting the then-teenager, referred to as Jane Doe, after giving her tequila and driving her to his home. Plaintiff’s attorney Gloria Allred said the encounter caused “tremendous physical, emotional pain and suffering.”
Polanski’s lawyer confirmed the settlement, which was reached “to the parties’ mutual satisfaction,” and Allred also confirmed the settlement, reached this summer, to the Guardian.
Polanski has denied recent allegations of sexual misconduct made by four women between 2017 and 2019, three of whom said they were minors at the time. Accusers included British actress Charlotte Lewis, who said she was 16 when she was assaulted in 1983, and artist Marianne Barnard, who said she was abused as early as 10.
A French court acquitted Polanski of defaming Lewis in May after he denied raping her when she was a teenager.
Polanski, now 91, has been a fugitive since 1978 after fleeing the U.S. to avoid a potential longer sentence following his plea deal in the 1977 case involving 13-year-old Samantha Geimer. Geimer has come to support the director, appearing with him in photographs last year.
Leave a Reply