A new judicial investigation into an alleged rape by filmmaker Luc Besson of his former girlfriend has been opened. A French judge ordered the investigation after new charges were raised.
French prosecutors dropped an investigation in February 2019 of allegations that director Besson raped his former girlfriend, Sand Van Roy. The inquiry was closed because of insufficient evidence, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
Actress Van Roy claimed she had been raped multiple times by Besson, director of Valerian, Nikita, Leon and The Fifth Element. Besson had called Van Roy’s claims “fantasist accusations.” She had minor roles in Besson’s Taxi 5 and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. After Van Roy’s complaint, eight other women came forward with accusations.
Besson’s French studio Europacorp has struggled since the release of Valerian, one of Europe’s most expensive films ever made. The firm posted a $101 million loss in December and the company has had to cut overhead and staff numbers.
Andreas Wiseman contributed to this report.
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