In November 2019, Adèle Haenel broke the silence by accusing director Christophe Ruggia of repeated sexual assaults that occurred between 2001 and 2004. The actress claims that during that time, when she was a teenager, the filmmaker would psychologically manipulate her, leading her to regularly visit his home where the assaults allegedly took place. This accusation has propelled her to become one of the prominent figures in the #MeToo movement. In February 2025, Christophe Ruggia was found guilty of sexual assault on a minor and sentenced to four years in prison, with two years to be served under electronic monitoring. Following the verdict, his lawyer, Fanny Colin, stated that he would appeal the decision.
During the appeal trial on January 23, the prosecutor Alexis Bourrez requested a harsher sentence for the director, proposing five years in prison, with two years suspended. He expressed his belief that Christophe Ruggia had, at one point, fallen in love with the victim, before concluding that the issue was not about falling in love with a child but rather about the inability to control oneself and taking advantage of an inherently imbalanced relationship. The court also ordered the filmmaker to compensate the actress with 15,000 euros for moral damages and 20,000 euros for psychological support costs.
At the hearing, Adèle Haenel, a two-time César award winner, provided a moving testimony lasting nearly 30 minutes, describing a profound trauma and expressing her shame over the impact of the events. The deliberation ended in a verdict on Friday, April 17, sentencing Christophe Ruggia to five years in prison, including two years of firm detention under electronic monitoring.
During the trial, Christophe Ruggia remained in denial, claiming he was not a sexual assailant, rapist, or pedophile, and refuting the accusations made against him. He defended his actions by stating that he saw himself as a cultural mentor to the young actress, engaging in discussions about books, movies, travels, school, and projects during her visits to his home. However, this defense did not sway the court.
