French actor Théo Navarro-Mussy has been barred from walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival due to accusations of rape and sexual assault—a first in the festival’s history.
Navarro-Mussy stars in Dossier 137, directed by Dominik Moll, which premieres in competition on Thursday. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor has been accused of “rape, physical and psychological violence” by three former partners.
A court dismissed the initial complaint last month, but the alleged victims have announced plans to pursue a civil case against him.
Festival general delegate Thierry Frémaux said that he took the “unprecedented” step to exclude Navarro-Mussy from Thursday’s gala screening, in agreement with the film’s producers.
Speaking to French outlet Télérama, Frémaux defended the decision, saying, “The case remains ongoing,” and added that the ban would be lifted if the case was dismissed or if Navarro-Mussy is found not guilty.
The ban follows a separate development in France’s film industry this week, where veteran actor Gérard Depardieu received an 18-month suspended sentence after being found guilty of sexual assault—marking one of the country’s most prominent #MeToo cases to date.