At the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, it was announced that a prominent actor from a high-profile French film had been banned from walking the red carpet on Thursday, amidst sexual assault allegations levied against him. Theo Navarro-Mussy, who plays a supporting role as a policeman in Dominik Moll's "Dossier 137," which was set to premiere on Thursday in the festival's main competition, found himself at the center of this controversy.
According to the French magazine Télérama, which broke the news, Navarro-Mussy faced accusations of rape from three former partners in 2018, 2019, and 2020. However, the case was recently dropped due to a lack of evidence. Despite this, the three women intend to appeal and file a civil lawsuit, as reported by Télérama.
Cannes Festival Director Thierry Frémaux confirmed to Télérama that Navarro-Mussy had been excluded from the festival due to the pending appeal. However, Navarro-Mussy's lawyer refuted this claim. "The procedure is still ongoing," Frémaux was quoted as saying. When contacted by the AFP news agency, the festival confirmed the decision and Frémaux's remarks.
This action against Navarro-Mussy sends a clear message that any actor or director under active investigation for sexual assault will be excluded from the festival. It aligns Cannes with the César Awards, France's equivalent of the Oscars, which announced in January 2023 that nominees convicted of or under investigation for sexual assault would be barred from participating.
Navarro-Mussy, 34, who gained fame for his role in the French medical TV drama "Hippocrate," denies the allegations but understands the festival organizers' decision, as he told Télérama.
In the past, Frémaux faced criticism from activists in 2023 over the choice of "Jeanne du Barry" starring Johnny Depp as the opening film of the festival. This movie marked Depp's comeback after a toxic court battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard, which revealed his tumultuous private life involving alcohol, drugs, and domestic abuse allegations.
A French parliamentary inquiry into the entertainment industry published its findings last month, concluding that abuse of performers was "endemic." The inquiry chair, Sandrine Rousseau, a National Assembly member for the Greens party, called on Cannes to set an example in stamping out sexual abuse, as well as physical and psychological violence.
Navarro-Mussy expressed concern about his career and hoped that the fact that the case had been closed would be taken into account. "I have explained myself to the justice system and at this stage have been cleared," he added. His lawyer stated that he had not been notified of any appeal against the decision to close the investigation.
Moll, the director of "Dossier 137," told AFP that he was unaware of the allegations before starting to work with Navarro-Mussy and nothing untoward happened during the filming. Moll's previous prize-winning film, "The Night of the 12th," tackled the issue of violence against women. He emphasized that he is "very sensitive to this issue."
This ban comes on the heels of Gérard Depardieu's conviction for sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021. The 76-year-old actor, who has appeared in over 200 films and television series, is the most prominent figure caught up in France's response to the #MeToo movement.
