French filmmaker Maïwenn was judged on Tuesday in Paris for assaulting Mediapart co-founder Edwy Plenel. The incident dates back to February 22, 2022. The journalist was having dinner with a lawyer at a restaurant in Paris. Maïwenn, who was sitting alone at a table behind them, lunged at him, grabbed him by the hair, and pretended to spit on him. The accused justified this assault by the publication of an article by Mediapart containing excerpts from her police interrogation regarding her ex-husband, Luc Besson, who was accused of rape by an actress. Found guilty, the actress was fined 400 euros. She was also ordered to pay 1 euro in damages to Edwy Plenel, 1,500 euros to Mediapart, and cover the legal costs of the victim and the newspaper.
At the Paris police court, it seemed for a moment that this was Mediapart’s trial. But the judge made it clear that the only purpose of the hearing is to provide a judicial response to acts of violence. The courtroom was filled with journalists, as the accused and the victim are prominent public figures. The journalist recounts the attack he suffered, where Maïwenn suddenly stood up and assaulted him before quickly leaving the restaurant. He filed a complaint shortly after, stating that he was “stunned” by the “very violent physical aggression”.
The director of Mediapart, Edwy Plenel, did not know Maïwenn personally. He believes that he was attacked due to his social position as the director of Mediapart following the publication of a series of articles about Luc Besson, to whom Maïwenn was previously married. Maïwenn acknowledged the assault and also justified her actions by stating that she was betrayed by Mediapart, causing a significant impact on her personal life.
Maïwenn claimed she had no interest in appearing in the news about Luc Besson but discovered articles containing excerpts from her police interrogation, which she claimed was not reflective of what she actually said. This led to her confrontational behavior toward Edwy Plenel. Mediapart defended itself by stating that they had accurately reported the information without using any statements from Maïwenn herself. The court concluded with a 400 euro fine for Maïwenn, as well as ordered her to pay damages to both Edwy Plenel and Mediapart, plus cover the legal costs for the victim and the newspaper.
