'Anatomy Of A Fall' Actor Samuel Theis Accused Of Rape, Booted From Set Of Latest Project
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Samuel Theis, who starred in the Golden Globe-winning film “Anatomy of a Fall,” was reportedly ousted from his third directorial project, “Je le Jure,” after being accused of rape by a crew member, according to reports that first appeared in the French newspaper Liberation.
The alleged incident reportedly occurred July 1 after what the publication described as a “very drunken evening” in an apartment rented for Theis. The unnamed accuser claimed he slept over due to his inebriated state and was raped by the filmmaker in the early morning.
Variety confirmed Monday that Theis was subsequently ousted from the set but was allowed to direct the rest of the film remotely. Theis reportedly claimed his encounter with the crew member was consensual, but the accuser said he was too drunk to have consented.
Theis’ attorney Marie Dosé said in a statement to Variety that she isn’t aware of an official complaint being filed with regional authorities and that “the only investigation on this case was ordered by the production and carried out by an independent organization.”
Dosé said the findings spanned 300 pages and concluded in September that “there were no elements qualifying what happened” as a sexual assault. She also added a witness claimed Thesis and his accuser were in a “tender moment” at the apartment that morning.
The crew member left the production shortly after the alleged incident.
“Je le Jure” producer Caroline Bonmarchand told Variety that she hired a third party to investigate and decided to remove Theis from the set. He still regularly laid out the day’s work in person each morning but then directed via monitors from another room.
Representatives of Theis did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment. Thies starred in the 2023 film “Anatomy of a Fall,” which won Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night for best foreign-language film and best screenplay.
Samuel Theis starred in last year's "Anatomy of a Fall," which won two Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night.
Bonmarchand reportedly attended a workshop on sexual assault and harassment on set, which is part of the National Film Board’s protocol to allocate subsidies, to complete filming. Crew members were given free access to a psychologist.
Cast and crew members who wished to speak with Theis were permitted to do so.
“In the end, what we’re discovering is that no matter how many kits, white papers and resources we have, when it comes to actually dealing with this type of situation, we’re not equipped,” Bonmarchand reportedly said in a statement.
While Dosé claimed she wasn’t aware of any legal complaint being lodged against Theis or the production and Variety was reportedly “unable to access” it, French magazine Telerama reported Saturday that the crew member filed a police report.
Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.
