'Jeanne du Barry' director Maïwenn admits assaulting journalist ahead of Cannes

Ahead of the premiere of Jeanne du Barry at Cannes 2023, director Maïwenn Lo Besco has admitted to assaulting a journalist.

The French actress, writer and filmmaker has been sued by Edwy Plenel, the editor-in-chief of Mediapart magazine. Edwy Plenel has accused Maïwenn of pulling his hair and spitting in his face while having dinner at a restaurant in Paris.

According to the police report filed by the journalist, the incident took place in late February.

Maïwenn confirmed the assault allegations in a new interview with Quotidien, cited by Deadline.

“Can you confirm? Can you say more?” host Yann Barthès asked.

“Can I confirm that I assaulted him, or that I received a complaint?”

“I didn’t receive a complaint. I learned about it in the press.”

The filmmaker said “Yes,” but didn’t give any details.

“Nice try, but it’s not the moment for me to talk about it. I’ll talk about it when it’s the right moment. I am very anxious about the launch of my film,” she concluded.

Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry in which she plays the titular character opposite Johnny Depp is opening at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Johnny Depp stars as Louis XV.

The filmmaker said that Depp’s reputation did not dissuade her from casting him for the role.

“Very quickly I said, he lost the first trial, he won the second,” Maïwenn explained. “We could say it was one person’s word against another. I didn’t feel I had the right to judge.”