Latest news with #Comédie-Française
Euronews
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape retrial opens in New York court
ADVERTISEMENT Opening statements have been heard in Harvey Weinstein's rape retrial, five years after his original trial delivered a searing reckoning for one of Hollywood's most powerful figures. Emphasising the former studio boss's onetime influence in the movie industry, prosecutor Shannon Lucey said Weinstein used "dream opportunities as weapons" to prey on the three accusers in the case. He is charged with raping one and forcing oral sex on the other two. "The defendant wanted their bodies and the more they resisted, the more forceful he got," Lucey said. The case is being retried because an appeals court threw out the landmark 2020 conviction. The retrial is happening at the same Manhattan courthouse as the first trial and two accusers who testified then are expected to return. Harvey Weinstein appears in state court in Manhattan as jury selection continues in his retrial, 23 April, 2025 AP Photo Weinstein's retrial is playing out at a different cultural moment than the first, which happened during the height of the #MeToo movement. Along with the charges being retried, he faces an additional allegation from a woman who wasn't involved in the first case. The jury counts seven women and five men, unlike the seven-man, five-woman panel that convicted him in 2020, and there's a different judge. The #MeToo movement, which exploded in 2017 with allegations against Weinstein, has also evolved and ebbed. At the start of Weinstein's first trial, chants of "rapist" could be heard from protesters outside. Related #metoothéâtre protestors demand change at the Comédie-Française Two Chinese #MeToo movement promoters handed 3 to 5 years prison sentence 'MeToo' movement stirs few changes in European Parliament's political groups TV trucks lined the street and reporters queued for hours to get a seat in the packed courtroom. His lawyers decried the "carnival-like atmosphere" and fought unsuccessfully to get the trial moved from Manhattan. This time, over five days of jury selection, there was none of that. Those realities, coupled with the New York Court of Appeals' ruling last year vacating his 2020 conviction and 23-year prison sentence — because the judge allowed testimony about allegations Weinstein was not charged with — are shaping everything from retrial legal strategy to the atmosphere in court. ADVERTISEMENT Weinstein, 73, is being retried on a criminal sex act charge for allegedly forcibly performing oral sex on a movie and TV production assistant, Miriam Haley, in 2006 and a third-degree rape charge for allegedly assaulting an aspiring actor, Jessica Mann, in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013. Attorney Arthur Aidala, lead attorney for Harvey Weinstein, arrives at Manhattan criminal court for Weinstein's retrial, 23 April, 2025 AP Photo Weinstein also faces a criminal sex act charge for allegedly forcing oral sex on a different woman at a Manhattan hotel in 2006. Prosecutors said that the woman, who hasn't been named publicly, came forward days before his first trial but wasn't part of that case. They said they revisited her allegations when his conviction was thrown out. ADVERTISEMENT Weinstein has pleaded not guilty and denies raping or sexually assaulting anyone. His acquittals on the two most serious charges at his 2020 trial — predatory sexual assault and first-degree rape — still stand. Lindsay Goldbrum, a lawyer for the unnamed accuser, said Weinstein's retrial marks a "pivotal moment in the fight for accountability in sex abuse cases" and a "signal to other survivors that the system is catching up — and that it's worth speaking out even when the odds seem insurmountable."
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape retrial opens in New York court
Opening statements have been heard in Harvey Weinstein's rape retrial, five years after his original trial delivered a searing reckoning for one of Hollywood's most powerful figures. Emphasising the former studio boss's onetime influence in the movie industry, prosecutor Shannon Lucey said Weinstein used "dream opportunities as weapons" to prey on the three accusers in the case. He is charged with raping one and forcing oral sex on the other two. "The defendant wanted their bodies and the more they resisted, the more forceful he got," Lucey said. The case is being retried because an appeals court threw out the landmark 2020 conviction. The retrial is happening at the same Manhattan courthouse as the first trial and two accusers who testified then are expected to return. Weinstein's retrial is playing out at a different cultural moment than the first, which happened during the height of the #MeToo movement. Along with the charges being retried, he faces an additional allegation from a woman who wasn't involved in the first case. The jury counts seven women and five men, unlike the seven-man, five-woman panel that convicted him in 2020, and there's a different judge. The #MeToo movement, which exploded in 2017 with allegations against Weinstein, has also evolved and ebbed. At the start of Weinstein's first trial, chants of "rapist" could be heard from protesters outside. Related #metoothéâtre protestors demand change at the Comédie-Française Two Chinese #MeToo movement promoters handed 3 to 5 years prison sentence 'MeToo' movement stirs few changes in European Parliament's political groups TV trucks lined the street and reporters queued for hours to get a seat in the packed courtroom. His lawyers decried the "carnival-like atmosphere" and fought unsuccessfully to get the trial moved from Manhattan. This time, over five days of jury selection, there was none of that. Those realities, coupled with the New York Court of Appeals' ruling last year vacating his 2020 conviction and 23-year prison sentence — because the judge allowed testimony about allegations Weinstein was not charged with — are shaping everything from retrial legal strategy to the atmosphere in court. Weinstein, 73, is being retried on a criminal sex act charge for allegedly forcibly performing oral sex on a movie and TV production assistant, Miriam Haley, in 2006 and a third-degree rape charge for allegedly assaulting an aspiring actor, Jessica Mann, in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013. Weinstein also faces a criminal sex act charge for allegedly forcing oral sex on a different woman at a Manhattan hotel in 2006. Prosecutors said that the woman, who hasn't been named publicly, came forward days before his first trial but wasn't part of that case. They said they revisited her allegations when his conviction was thrown out. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty and denies raping or sexually assaulting anyone. His acquittals on the two most serious charges at his 2020 trial — predatory sexual assault and first-degree rape — still stand. Lindsay Goldbrum, a lawyer for the unnamed accuser, said Weinstein's retrial marks a "pivotal moment in the fight for accountability in sex abuse cases" and a "signal to other survivors that the system is catching up — and that it's worth speaking out even when the odds seem insurmountable."
New York Times
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
At France's Oldest Theater, Things Change, but They Also Stay the Same
Later this year, the actor and director Clément Hervieu-Léger will assume one of the most influential positions in French theater: general administrator of the Comédie-Française, the country's oldest active company. France's culture ministry announced the appointment last week. For now, however, Hervieu-Léger, 47, remains a player in the company's acting ensemble, and through June 1, he is starring in a production of Chekhov's 'The Cherry Orchard' that he also directed. Onstage on Sunday, Hervieu-Léger blended in discreetly as Trofimov, an aging student who hovers around the play's central landowning family. (It took me a minute even to recognize him.) The venerable Comédie-Française was founded in 1680, when a troupe begun decades earlier by the playwright Molière merged with a rival institution. With Hervieu-Léger's appointment, it has opted — as so often — for continuity. Since 2001, every general administrator has come from the company's ranks. Éric Ruf, who holds the position until this summer, had over two decades of experience as a Comédie-Française actor before his appointment in 2014. His successor has followed a remarkably similar path. A lithe, elegant performer, Hervieu-Léger was hired by the troupe in 2005 and has since been seen in a vast repertoire of plays, including Molière comedies and Tony Kushner's 'Angels in America.' In 2018, he joined the ranks of the 'sociétaires,' or 'shareholders,' a core group of company members who own stakes in the Comédie-Française, make up the board and oversee the theater's operations. All must abide by the company's motto: 'Simul et singulis,' which means, 'Together and individual.' In the past, this ensemble-led system has made it difficult for outsiders to come in and manage the Comédie-Française effectively. Even former sociétaires have faced internal mutiny: Muriel Mayette-Holtz, the first female general administrator, was replaced by Ruf in 2014 after company members protested her tenure in a letter to the French culture minister. Still, the prestige of the position is such — the administrator is personally appointed by the French president — that Hervieu-Léger faced serious competition. According to the French newspaper Le Monde, two high-profile candidates had thrown their hats in the ring: Arthur Nauzyciel, who is currently at the helm of the National Theater of Brittany; and the film and stage director Christophe Honoré, known for movies including 'Love Songs' and 'Sorry Angel.' While Hervieu-Léger is less of a household name, he will be able to draw on his wide-ranging experience. Alongside his acting career, he has directed over a dozen productions across theater and opera, with a pronounced taste for classic plays: in addition to Chekhov and his countryman Ivan Turgenev, Hervieu-Léger has tackled Molière and the 18th-century comic playwrights Pierre de Marivaux and Carlo Goldoni. He has also overseen plenty of projects beyond the Comédie-Française. In 2010, he co-founded La Compagnie des Petits Champs, a theater company based in rural northern France. His affinity for ballet has also translated into a number of side gigs, including a position as drama teacher at the Paris Opera Ballet School. In early April, his hybrid dance-theater adaptation of 'They Shoot Horses, Don't They?,' a co-creation with the choreographer Bruno Bouché and the actor Daniel San Pedro for the Ballet du Rhin, will have its Paris premiere at the Théâtre de la Ville. As a director, Hervieu-Léger's style leans toward understated, period-appropriate sophistication; a history buff, he was elected president of the French Society of Theater History in 2021. His production of 'The Cherry Orchard' is a case in point. In Hervieu-Léger's interpretation, Chekhov's 1903 play unfolds on a wood-paneled stage decorated with refined paintings, evoking the country lifestyle of the aristocratic family; the minutely cut costumes are demure enough to suit early 20th-century characters. The craft of the Comédie-Française's famed in-house set and costume departments are evident in every scene, to a degree that outside directors don't always exploit. 'The Cherry Orchard' is also a showcase for Hervieu-Léger's colleagues, with smart casting across several generations of actors. Florence Viala, a company member since 1994, brings a flighty self-assurance to the central role of Lyubov. Loïc Corbery, often seen in romantic leading roles, is an unexpected choice as the coarse Lopakhin, yet he owns the role with mercurial energy. As Firs, the elderly butler, Hervieu-Léger brought back the retired sociétaire Michel Favory, who acts as an earnest, serious anchor throughout. Hervieu-Léger's intimate knowledge of the troupe will serve him well as the general administrator, and Ruf leaves behind an institution in good shape. Over his three terms, Ruf struck a balance between the house's traditions and a newfound openness. In addition to bringing in star directors like Thomas Ostermeier and Ivo van Hove, he worked quietly behind the scenes to increase diversity, hiring several Black actors and achieving gender parity among the directors he programed. The Comédie-Française said last week that Hervieu-Léger would unveil his plans this summer, though the company seems set to continue on its steady course. If it ain't broke, don't fix it: It's a view that the Comédie-Française is entitled, by nearly 350 years of history, to hold.
Euronews
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
#metoothéâtre protestors demand change at the Comédie-Française
Protesters have called for deep rooted change at the Comédie-Française, the world's oldest running theatre company, to demonstrate against its inaction following allegations of assault by one of its actors, Nâzim Boudjenah. Around 50 people on Wednesday night armed with slogans like 'We're throwing the pigs away, you're fattening them up' and 'No applause for violent men' were at the entrance of one of Paris' most important theatres. The demonstration was organised through #metoothéâtre in reaction to Nâzim Boudjenah – an actor at the Comédie-Française since 2010 – over accusations of his violent behaviour toward Marie Coquille-Chambel. In 2020, Boudjenah entered into a relationship with Coquille-Chambel. Coquille-Chambel testified in court in 2021 that Boudjenah had become violent in the relationship and threatened to kill her. Boudjenah denied the accusations but was sentenced to six months in prison. He was later acquitted of the charges of violence due to procedural irregularities. Boudjenah is currently still under investigation following an indictment by a judge on accusations of rape by Coquille-Chambel. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TicketNunc (@ticketnunc) Following Coquille-Chambel's accusations, the Comédie-Française immediately removed Boudjenah from the stage. 'The Comédie-Française is deeply shocked by the discovery of the unbearable acts of violence attributed to one of its employees. It condemns them in the strongest possible terms and will take all necessary measures,' the theatre said in a press statement at the time. However, the theatre didn't also dismiss the actor immediately and maintained his salary. This is the basis for #metoothéâtre's protest. In a hearing on 13 January over Boudjenah's dismissal, Sandrine Rousseau, MP and president of the commission on violence in the arts sector, reported that Boudjenah had made death threats against both Coquille-Chambel and herself. Boudjenah made death threats against Rousseau after he became aware that the MP was informed of the death threats he'd made against Coquille-Chambel. Comédie-Française managing director Eric Ruf was present at the hearing as the theatre was told to initiate dismissal proceedings against Boudjaneh. #metoothéâtre posted a message on Instagram to explain the reason for their demonstration despite Boudjaneh's imminent dismissal. 'We can only welcome this decision which takes into account the violence of this man. However, we can only regret that the Comédie Française did not consider it necessary to do so after the conviction of its resident on June 29, 2021'. View this post on Instagram A post shared by #metootheatre (@metootheatre) 'Boudjenah was condemned for such acts almost 4 years ago, is this not enough to consider that he cannot have the honour of sitting among the residents of this illustrious institution?' the account wrote. 'We also regret that no media relays the information according to which Madame Coquille Chambel was forced on July 18, 2024 to file a complaint for new death threats and crimes on the social network X by Mr. Nâzim Boudjenah.' Outside of the theatre, some of the employees registered their concern about the negative impact of the protest on the company. 'This story has nothing to do with the Comédie-Française, it's something that happened outside, in a private setting. It's false to say that the house supports rape culture. It hurts us, it penalizes us and it's false,' a manager for 30 years told French daily newspaper Le Monde. Originally, the Comédie-Française didn't dismiss Boudjenah with this explanation: 'In labour law, you need a real and serious reason to separate from someone. Here it was a conflict external to the company, not professional misconduct, we did not have the necessary elements,' echoing the sentiments of the frustrated manager. It was Boudjenah's death threats and derogatory remarks that put him over the threshold for harming the theatre, according to this month's hearing. The latency and prioritising of the institution over the victim is the core of the group's protest. As actor and director Séphora Haymann said at the protest: 'We can testify today that things are not changing. The victims' words create a huge amount of declarative effects. But, in reality, there is no less violence. We have a collective responsibility: management, supervisory authorities, institutions have a responsibility. We must take action.'
