Cannes Film Festival has banned “Dossier 137” actor Theo Navarro-Mussy from walking the red carpet at the film’s premiere on Thursday night amid accusations of rape and sexual assault.
Navarro-Mussy has a supporting role in “Dossier 137,” one of this year’s Cannes competition titles. News of his banning from the red carpet broke ahead of the movie’s Thursday evening premiere at the festival’s Palais theater.
A representative for Navarro-Mussy did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
“Dossier 137” producers Caroline Benjo and Carole Scotta, whose Haut et Court backed the political drama, told Variety the allegations against Navarro-Mussy date back to a case that occurred “well before the film was shot.”
“Even though the alleged facts largely predate the production of the film, we decided with the festival management that the person in question would not accompany the film to Cannes, out of respect for the plaintiffs and for the victims’ word, and without prejudice to the presumption of innocence of the accused,” the duo said in a statement. “The management of the Cannes Film Festival has been very clear about not highlighting any person suspected of sexist or sexual violence. For Haut et Court, these issues are very close to our hearts, so this decision was a matter of course, as well as for Dominik Moll, whose position on these issues has always been very clear.”
According to French news agency AFP, this marks the first time an actor has been banned from the festival due to sexual abuse allegations. On Wednesday, French publication Telerama first reported that Cannes chief Thierry Fremaux decided before the festival’s opening on Tuesday, along with the film’s production team, that Navarro-Mussy would not walk the carpet.
Fermaux told Variety in April ahead of Cannes that the festival added a new clause to its regulations this year for films in the official selection “to guarantee that the films submitted have respected and continue respecting the safety, integrity and dignity of all contributors and comply with legal obligations.”
According to Telerama, Navarro-Mussy faces allegations from three former partners of rape and physical violence dating back to 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Directed by César Award winner Dominik Moll, “Dossier 137” is set during France’s yellow vests protests and centers on a young man who gets injured by by a flash-ball projectile. Léa Drucker stars as an investigator named Stephanie who is assigned the task of determining who is responsible for the incident. The supporting cast includes Jonathan Turnbull, Mathilde Roehrich, Guslagie Malanda and Stanislas Merhar.
