Blue Is the Warmest Color director Abdellatif Kechiche has been accused of sexual assault, according to a report Wednesday from French news channel BFMTV. He denies the claims.
According to BFMTV, the Paris prosecutor’s office has opened a preliminary investigation, based upon the report filed by an unnamed 29-year-old actress.
The actress claims she dined with the director June 23 at an apartment in northern Paris. After several drinks with Kechiche and a friend, the plaintiff says she blacked out and awoke to find her pants open and Kechiche fondling her. She filed the complaint Oct. 6.
In a statement, a lawyer for Kechiche said he “categorically denies the veracity of these accusations.”
Kechiche took home the Palme d’Or in 2013 for Blue Is the Warmest Color, a prize he shared with actresses Lea Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos, though the two later criticized the director for his harsh working conditions.
The charges against Kechiche mark the third high-profile sexual assault investigation underway in France, as police are still investigating charges against director Luc Besson, filed May 19, and Gerard Depardieu, filed Aug. 30.
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