French actor Theo Navarro-Mussy has been banned from attending the red carpet premiere of Dossier 137 at this year’s Cannes Film Festival due to serious accusations of rape and sexual assault. The decision was made jointly by the festival organizers and the film’s producers as a response to allegations brought forward by three of Navarro-Mussy’s former partners, accusing him of rape and physical violence during 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Navarro-Mussy, who plays a supporting role in the political drama Dossier 137, will not be present at the Thursday night screening at the Palais theater. The producers, Caroline Benjo and Carole Scotta of Haut et Court, confirmed that the accusations surfaced before the film’s production began. In a statement to Variety, they explained that even though the alleged incidents happened years ago, they, along with the Cannes festival management, agreed it was out of respect for the victims that Navarro-Mussy would not attend the festival. They also emphasized that this decision respects the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise.
The Cannes Film Festival management made it clear that they will not spotlight anyone suspected of sexist or sexual violence. This aligns with the values of the production company and the film’s director, Dominik Moll, who has always taken a strong stance against such behavior.
According to AFP, this marks the first time Cannes has banned an actor from attending due to sexual abuse allegations, reflecting the festival’s new commitment to safety and accountability in the film industry. Festival chief Thierry Frémaux mentioned that this year’s submission rules now include a clause requiring films to respect the safety, integrity, and dignity of everyone involved, ensuring legal obligations are met.
Dossier 137 is one of the films competing at this year’s Cannes. Directed by César Award winner Dominik Moll, the movie is set during the yellow vest protests in France and follows investigator Stéphanie, played by Léa Drucker, as she tries to uncover who is responsible for injuring a young protester with a flash-ball projectile. The film also features Jonathan Turnbull, Mathilde Roehrich, Guslagie Malanda, and Stanislas Merhar.
