Cannes Chief Thierry Fremaux On Johnny Depp Backlash & Adèle Haenel’s Claim That ‘It’s a Festival For Rapists’
etcanada.comAfter one of France’s top actors, Adèle Haenel, announced she was quitting a French film industry that she denounced for “complacency toward sexual aggressors,” Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Fremaux rejected her criticisms while addressing members of the media Monday.
Haenel, star of the 2019 Cannes entry “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” last week published an open letter in the Telerama magazine in which the 34-year-old said Cannes and other pillars of the French film industry are “ready to do anything to defend their rapist chiefs.” READ MORE: Martin Scorsese Set To Stir Cannes Again, 47 Years After ‘Taxi Driver’ Fremaux strongly disagreed while speaking to journalists before the festival kicks off Tuesday with the premiere of Maïwenn’s historical drama “Jeanne du Barry,” starring Johnny Depp. “No doubt for somewhat radical reasons, she had to make this comment about Cannes, which was obviously false,” said Fremaux.
In 2019, Haenel accused French director Christophe Ruggia of sexually harassing her for years beginning from the age of 12. Ruggia has denied it.
Since then, Haenel has often vocally protested what she’s called an insufficient response sexual abuse in French filmmaking.
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