Cannes Opener Just Got Spicier

You really have to laugh at the above headline from Variety. I’m sure they wrote it very purposely. It says, “French Director and Johnny Depp Collaborator Maiwenn Sued for Assaulting Journalist.”

Now, there’s technically nothing wrong with Maiwenn being called a “Johnny Depp collaborator,” but it’s not really what she’s known for. Yes, her next movie has Johnny Depp in it, but that Variety headline is totally meant as a smear.

So, yes, Maiwenn has been accused of assault by Mediapart journalist Edwy Plenel. The complaint was filed in March against Maïwenn whom Plenel accuses of having attacked him at a restaurant in Paris.

"On February 22, while he was having dinner with a lawyer in a restaurant in the 12th arrondissement, a woman appeared and in a very short period of time violently grabbed the latter by the hair, throwing his head back and spit on his face.

The Cannes opening night film now promises to be an event to remember, with Maïwenn and Depp walking the red steps and participating in the traditional press conference. I was going to skip the first day of the fest, but now I’m tempted to just do it.

Is this enough of an incentive for Cannes to pull the film out of its lineup? I’m not yet convinced.

Plenel is a well-known investigative journalist in France. Meanwhile, Maiwenn met Luc Besson at age 15, married him at 16, even had a child with him. They eventually separated, but remained friends. She’s even hinted that his film “Leon” was inspired by their relationship.

One can say that Maiwenn was already a target — she’s not a fan of the #MeToo movement and defended Roman Polanski after the Césars controversy.

Some in the French media are even saying her assault against Plenel was payback for some of his outlet’d articles against Besson. Suffice to say, this is a mess.