Adele recounts #MeToo horror, says director Ruggia abused her for years
PARIS (AFP) – French star Adele Haenel accused the director who discovered her of sexually harassing her from the age of 12 in a lengthy interview.
The 30-year-old — who is wowing critics on both sides of the Atlantic with her performance in Portrait of a Lady on Fire — said she was the victim of "permanent sexual harassment", "forced kisses on the neck," and touching for the three years she spent working and promoting her debut film, The Devils.
Director Christophe Ruggia strongly denied the claims, with his lawyers saying that he "categorically refuted" any misconduct. He insisted that he had a "professional and affectionate relationship" with Haenel.
But actress Adele handed over love letters she said Ruggia had sent her at the time to the French investigative website Mediapart, which spent seven months talking to more than 30 people involved with the 2002 film about an incestuous relationship between 12-year-old siblings.
The director's ex-partner also told the site that she left him after he confessed to being in love with Haenel and of touching her inappropriately.
Haenel, who played a girl with autism in The Devils, told a live interview streamed on Mediapart Monday that she decided to go public after watching Leaving Neverland, the documentary about the child victims of US pop star Michael Jackson.
She said her resolve was further stiffened when she discovered that Ruggia was set to make another film with adolescents.