Maïwenn Lo Besco (known simply as Maïwenn) has admitted to assaulting a French journalist. She made the admission on a live French talk show called “Quotidian.”
Last month Maïwenn was accused of assaulting Edwy Plenel, the editor-in-chief of Mediapart, an online investigative newspaper, during a February encounter. Plenel said he was having dinner with his lawyer when Maïwenn walked over, grabbed his hair and spit in his face. Plenel said the encounter was “damaging on a moral and psychological level” and after the supposed attack was left feeling “very traumatized.”
It was unclear what the motivation for the alleged assault could have been, although there speculation that it was because the site was reporting on the sexual assault allegations leveled against French filmmaker Luc Besson. Besson is Maïwenn’s ex-husband from 1992 to 1997. They started dating when she was only 15 and he was nearly 30; her first child was born when she was 16 and she has admitted that the relationship between Jean Reno and Natalie Portman in “The Professional” was based on her relationship with Besson (yikes).
Maïwenn said during the interview, as translated and published by the Telegraph, when asked about the alleged assault: ““Do I confirm that I assaulted him? Yes. It’s not the time. I’ll speak about it when I’m ready. I’m very anxious about the release of my film.”
“My film” is “Jeanne du Barry,” a historical biographical drama where she plays the title role (of the last mistress of King Louis XV of France), along with directing, co-writing and producing. The film has already generated significant controversy as being the first big comeback role for Johnny Depp following his prolonged legal battle with Amber Heard and is slated to open the Cannes Film Festival next week on May 16.
