Director Jacques Doillon, caught in the storm
“That Judith Godrèche and other women through her are keen to denounce a system, an era, a society, is courageous, laudable and necessary. But the justness of the cause does not authorize arbitrary denunciations, false accusations and lies,” explains this proclaimed heir of the New Wave.
Invited Thursday on France Inter, Judith Godrèche, 51, blamed Jacques Doillon, 79. She notably recounted an intimate scene with him, in the presence of Jane Birkin, who was then the director’s companion. “All of a sudden, (Doillon) decides that there is a love scene, a sex scene between him and me,” she said. “I take off my sweater, I’m shirtless, he gropes me, makes out with me,” she added. Asked whether Mr. Doillon had “abused” her, the actress acquiesced.
In his response on Friday, the filmmaker affirmed that “this scene is in the original script”. “It is scene 79 where it is notably written: “Distraught, excited, they make love”. Judith Godrèche obviously read and reread the script since she even claimed to have written it,” he adds.
Concerning the replacement of the actor initially planned for this filming, mentioned by Judith Godrèche, he confirms having “ended his commitment at the end of the first week of filming due to insufficiently written texts and problems of rhythm which did not fit not that of adolescents. According to him, it was on the initiative of his producer that he decided to reprise the role, otherwise the filming would be stopped.
Jacques Doillon and director Benoît Jacquot were targeted this week by a complaint from Judith Godrèche and an investigation was opened. “I am watching with attention this upheaval, not to say this revolution, initiated and carried by women whose voice has been freed for several years now. (…) However, I never committed the acts with which I am accused and I will bring to justice, since it is now seized, all the factual elements at my disposal to demonstrate my innocence,” assures Mr. Doillon.
He also denies being close to Benoît Jacquot, targeted by accusations of abuse and violence from Ms. Godrèche. Mr. Jacquot, who is 25 years older than the actress, directed her on screen and maintained a relationship with her for several years, without hiding, from the age of 14.
Denouncing “non-contradictory” journalistic investigations, Jacques Doillon was also implicated by actresses Isild Le Besco and Anna Mouglalis in an article in Le Monde. The first claims to have been kicked out of a shoot after having “refused to sleep with him” and the second says she was “kissed by force” before pushing him away. In his statement, Mr. Doillon asserts for his part that Isild Le Besco “made him believe that she was being held on another shoot while she was on vacation” and he describes the accusation of “grotesque” as Anna Mouglalis.
