French film director Ruggia found guilty of sexually abusing actress Haenel

A French court on Monday found French film director Christophe Ruggia guilty of sexually abusing actress Adele Haenel when she was underage, in one of the first #MeToo cases to emerge from French cinema.

Ruggia, who had denied the allegations against him, will avoid jail. The court in Paris sentenced him to four years, with a two-year suspended term, and two years with an electronic ankle bracelet.

Ruggia's lawyer, Fanny Colin, told reporters that her client maintained his innocence and would appeal the decision.

Haenel, 35, a prize-winning actress in movies such as "Portrait of a Lady On Fire," had accused Ruggia of repeatedly touching her inappropriately after they met while working on the movie "The Devils" in 2001 when she was 12, and he was 36.

French film director Christophe Ruggia leaves with her lawyer Orly Rezlan after the verdict in his trial for sexually abusing actress Adele Haenel on set while she was an adolescent, at the criminal court in Paris, France, February 3, 2025.REUTERS/Abdul Saboor

In 2019, she publicly accused him of exercising undue control over her, isolating her from her family and crewmembers, and forcing her and co-star Vincent Rottiers to film grueling scenes they were uncomfortable with.

Several female stars of French cinema were in the courtroom to hear the verdict, including Judith Godrèche, one of the figureheads of France's #MeToo movement, and Céline Sciamma, Haenel's ex-partner and the director of "Portrait of a Lady On Fire." Following the verdict, Godrèche hugged Haenel.

Haenel is another of the leading figures in the #MeToo movement in France, which has received a much more tepid reaction than in the United States. Haenel recently quit the film industry, citing complacency over suspected sexual predators still working in the business.

Adele Haenel leaves after the verdict in the trial of French film director Christophe Ruggia for sexually abusing her on set while she was an adolescent, at the criminal court in Paris, France, February 3, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor

Haenel had accused Ruggia of abusing her from the age of 12 to 15, during and after the filming of "The Devils," which tells the story of two abandoned siblings searching for their home.

She told investigators she often went to Ruggia's house, where he would touch her between her legs and caress her chest. She said his actions affected her schoolwork and provoked suicidal thoughts.

Ruggia is not the first man in French cinema to face charges over his behavior on set.

Gerard Depardieu, one of France's most famous actors, is due to go on trial in March, accused of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021. He denies the accusations.