Director Faces Allegations From 1973, Santa Monica Judge Sets Date
A trial date of August 4, 2025, has been set for the civil lawsuit against director Roman Polanski in Santa Monica by Judge H. Jay Ford III, as reported by Variety Magazine. The plaintiff alleges that Polanski raped her in 1973, when she was underage, at his Benedict Canyon residence. According to the lawsuit, the encounter occurred after she had met him at a party several months prior.
The plaintiff’s lawsuit claims that Polanski invited her to dinner at Le Restaurant on La Brea Avenue, provided shots of tequila, and took her to his home, where she later woke up in his bed. The lawsuit states that Polanski expressed a desire for sexual intercourse, to which the groggy plaintiff refused, saying “No” and pleading with him not to proceed. Despite her objections, the suit alleges that Polanski ignored her pleas and sexually assaulted her before driving her home. According to the lawsuit, as quoted by Variety, the encounter marked the last time she saw the director.
The woman first made the accusation in August 2017, stating that she was 16 at the time of the sexual assault at a press conference. The plaintiff filed the lawsuit in June 2023 under a California law extending the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse using the name Jane Doe. The director was served with the lawsuit in Paris.
Even though it is unlikely that Polanski will return to the United States, this civil suit can proceed without his presence. The director is also being sued for defamation in France by British actor Charlotte Lewis, who accused Polanski of allegedly assaulting her in 1983 when she was 16. Polanski called Lewis’ accusations a “heinous lie.” and Lewis responded by suing him for those words.
