The woman’s attorney announced on Tuesday that French-Polish filmmaker Roman Polanski, who left the US more than 40 years ago following a conviction for sexually abusing a minor, will stand trial in a civil trial for the alleged rape of another juvenile years prior.
August 2025 in Los Angeles is when the lawsuit against the director of “The Pianist” will be heard, according to Gloria Allred, a Hollywood attorney who has defended victims of rapist Harvey Weinstein as well as other individuals who have emerged in the #MeToo movement.
Allred stated that although Polanski cannot be made to appear at the trial, her client, Jane Doe, would have the opportunity to seek redress at the civil hearing for the alleged attack in 1973.
According to the lawsuit, which was submitted last year, Polanski took the youngster to supper at a Los Angeles restaurant in 1973.
He allegedly offered her tequila and took her to his posh Benedict Canyon house, where he forced himself on her when she started to feel lightheaded. Allred told reporters, “She told him, ‘Please don’t do this.'”
“She claims he disregarded her entreaties. Additionally, she claims that after taking off the plaintiff’s clothes, defendant Polanski sexually assaulted her, causing her great anguish on a physical and emotional level.
The unidentified lady first came out with accusations against Polanski in 2017. At the time, she went by the name “Robin.”
The civil lawsuit was filed in June 2023, shortly before a California statute that permitted an extension of time for filing claims against those accused of committing sexual offenses expired. The action asks for unspecified damages.
Oscar-winning Polanski, who is 90 years old, is a controversial character in the film industry. While some praise his creative talent, others maintain that he was a sexual predator from the beginning.
Polanski left the country in the late 1970s while he was awaiting his sentencing for drugging and raping 13-year-old Samantha Geimer. After that, Geimer stood up for Polanski, and the two were pictured together last year.
Polanski, who also directed the films “Chinatown” and “Rosemary’s Baby,” is presently being sued for slander in France by British actress Charlotte Lewis, who alleges he molested her in 1983.
The director has consistently denied any misconduct.
