Paris court acquits Roman Polanski of defamation in case brought by actor Charlotte Lewis over rape accusation

Published: 14 May 2024 at 14:17

Politics

Director Roman Polanski has been acquitted by a Paris court of defaming British actor Charlotte Lewis, who accused him of raping her as a teenager. In 2019, Polanski claimed Lewis lied about being sexually assaulted by him four decades ago. Lewis, now 56, stated she was a victim of a 'smear campaign' that 'nearly destroyed' her. Polanski, 90, fled the US in 1978 after admitting to having sex with a thirteen-year-old girl. He denies all claims against him. The case involved allegations of assault when Lewis was 16 in 1983 in Paris, where she later appeared in Polanski's film Pirates.