Born in France · Nationality French — Film directing and production

Luc Besson

Also known as: Luc Paul Maurice Besson

Film, television and entertainment Business and billionaires

French film director, screenwriter and producer born in 1959; founder of EuropaCorp.

Luc Besson directed The Big Blue, Léon and The Fifth Element. Several women accused him of sexual misconduct, which he denies; the Sand Van Roy case ended in a dismissal upheld in 2023, with reopening refused in 2026. He has also been involved in civil copyright and film-production disputes.

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Profile No. 5970 · Updated on 7 November 2026

5Documented controversies

8Sources

0Formal charge · all time

0Conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

Case · 2 documented stages

2025–2026: request to reopen Van Roy investigation refused

Case dismissed / dropped

May 2025–June 2026

2025–2026: request to reopen Van Roy investigation refused

Case dismissed / dropped

In May 2025 the complainant sought to reopen the investigation using private DNA testing. The prosecutor general initially supported bringing the matter before the court, but the investigating chamber refused reopening on 23 June 2026. Her lawyer announced another appeal.

State of the evidence: Reopening refused by the investigating chamber on 23 June 2026, as reported by Le Monde and Mediapart.
Legal status — source text: The dismissal in favour of Luc Besson stands; reopening was refused in June 2026.
Attribution: The new testing remains disputed; there has been no criminal trial or conviction.

Sources · 2

[1]
MediapartAffaire Luc Besson : la justice refuse de rouvrir l’enquête pour viol23 June 2026Investigative journalismHigh reliability
[2]
Le ParisienLuc Besson : la justice refuse de rouvrir l’enquête pour viol qui visait le réalisateur23 June 2026MediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 7 November 2026

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June 2023

2023: Court of Cassation upholds Van Roy case dismissal

Case dismissed / dropped

France’s Court of Cassation rejected Sand Van Roy’s appeal against the dismissal. The original investigation was therefore definitively closed on the evidence then before the courts; Besson was not convicted.

State of the evidence: Court of Cassation decision of 21 June 2023 reported in the press.
Legal status — source text: The dismissal in favour of Luc Besson stands; reopening was refused in June 2026.
Attribution: Final dismissal of the original judicial investigation.

Sources · 1

[1]
Le ParisienSand Van Roy contre Luc Besson : la Cour de cassation écarte définitivement l’accusation de viol21 June 2023MediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 7 November 2026

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February 2019

2019: actor reports alleged 2002 incident to prosecutors

Investigation

An actor living in the United States contacted prosecutors about a 2002 professional meeting at which she alleged an assault. Prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation on 21 February 2019; no subsequent outcome could be verified.

State of the evidence: Referral to prosecutors reported by Mediapart.
Legal status — source text: Preliminary investigation opened on 21 February 2019; no subsequent outcome could be verified as at 2026.
Attribution: Sexual assault alleged in a professional setting.

Sources · 2

[1]
MediapartAffaire Luc Besson: une autre actrice livre son témoignage à la justice22 February 2019Investigative journalismHigh reliability
[2]
Le ParisienLuc Besson visé par une nouvelle enquête pour agression sexuelle26 February 2019MediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 7 November 2026

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November–December 2018

2018: five further accounts of alleged sexual misconduct

Allegations

An investigation collected accounts from five more women, including a former assistant and students, describing different alleged forms of sexual pressure or contact. At the time, allegations from nine women had been reported, including Sand Van Roy.

State of the evidence: Published testimony in investigative reporting, not a judicial finding.
Legal status — source text: Public allegations, with no verified court ruling on these claims.
Attribution: Sexual misconduct alleged by several women.

Sources · 1

[1]
MediapartFive more women accuse Luc Besson of sexual misconduct7 December 2018Investigative journalismHigh reliability

Last verified: 7 November 2026

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June 2016

2016: appeal court increases Lock Out copyright damages

Civil / administrative proceedings

The Paris Court of Appeal upheld infringement and increased the total damages to about €465,000 for John Carpenter, Nick Castle and StudioCanal. This was a civil ruling, not a criminal conviction.

State of the evidence: Paris appeal judgment of 10 June 2016 reported by legal experts and journalists.
Legal status — source text: Civil or administrative matter; not a personal criminal conviction.
Attribution: Civil copyright infringement of John Carpenter’s film.

Sources · 2

[1]
Le ParisienCinéma : Luc Besson condamné à payer 465 000 euros pour «contrefaçon»29 July 2016MediaHigh reliability
[2]
CMS (analyse juridique)Lock Out est bien une contrefaçon d’un film préexistant23 February 2017MediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 7 November 2026

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II. Constellation of documented links

No documented link with another published profile for now.

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

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Controversia profile, updated 7 November 2026. Latest version: https://controversia.info/en/fiche/luc-besson