Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi and Carla Bruni condemn media reports of allegations of sexual assault against Sofiane Bennacer

French-Italian actress Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi has denounced media reports that actor Sofiane Bennacer is being investigated over allegations of rape and violence, saying he was the victim of a “media lynching”.

Bennacer starred in Bruni-Tedeschi’s Contender for the Palme d’Or at Cannes 2022 Always younga semi-autobiographical drama inspired by her experiences as a student at the Les Amandiers drama school in Nanterre in the 1980s.

French media reported earlier this week that Bennacer was placed under judicial supervision in October.

The measure prevents him from entering the Paris region and contacting prosecutors and witnesses in the case. Bruni-Tedeschi was named as one of the witnesses.

The news comes just days after Bennacer was announced on November 16 as one of 32 young actors chosen to star in the 2023 edition of French talent show César Academy Revelations.

The panel announced on Tuesday that it had removed him from the list following the news and was revising its rules for dealing with candidates on trial. The agency currently has no logbook.

Bennacer has publicly denied the allegations, saying he was previously the victim of harassment by a former girlfriend who encouraged other women to also testify against him.

daily newspaper liberation released a full two-page investigative report on Friday, citing a number of anonymous sources who said rumors of the allegations against Bennacer were widespread, such as the shooting of Always young Launched early 2021.

A crew member said there was unease about Bennacer’s presence on set, but an atmosphere of omerta prevailed during filming, with Bruni-Tedeschi supporting Bennacer on the principle that anyone accused of a crime should be presumed innocent , until proven guilty.

Libération also revealed that one of the film’s locations was defaced with graffiti denouncing the production as an “accomplice” protecting a “wolf in the sheepfold” on the eve of filming.

Bruni-Tedeschi issued a statement on Friday denouncing the article: “At the moment everyone knows that he has not been brought to justice and such a trial is in my opinion pure media lynch and far from a wish . objective and unbiased information.”

Bruni-Tedeschi said that the film’s producers Alexandra Henochsberg and Patrick Sobelman “expressed fear and reluctance” to keep Bennacer in the cast when the rumors surfaced, but she insisted on helping the actor.

“I told them that those rumors don’t stop me and I can’t consider doing the film without him,” she said, adding that she was “artfully impressed with Sofiane Bennacer from the first second of casting. “

The actress and director said she was outraged that a newspaper liked it liberation could therefore “trample the presumption of innocence”.

Bruni-Tedeschi’s sister, model and singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, also joined the protest.

She posted a message on her Instagram account expressing her support for her sister and also denouncing Liberation for their report on the allegations against Bennacer while he is yet to be brought to court.

“One of the foundations of our democracy is the presumption of innocence,” she wrote. “Without the presumption of innocence, all justice is arbitrary, controversial and potentially corrupt. Libé has been giving us moral lessons for 40 years, but of course, the presumption of innocence is completely foreign to her.