Roman Polanski 1970s sexual abuse lawsuit is tentatively settled

The plaintiff claims the fugitive film director sexually assaulted her at his home after plying her with tequila both there and at a restaurant, all the while knowing she was a minor.

A tentative settlement has been reached in a lawsuit brought by a woman who alleged longtime fugitive Roman Polanski sexually assaulted her in the 1970s at his home after plying her with tequila both there and at a restaurant, all the while knowing she was a minor.

In court papers filed Tuesday with Santa Monica Superior Court Judge H. Jay Ford III, the woman’s attorneys stated that a “conditional” accord has been reached with the 90-year-old filmmaker and that a request for dismissal will be filed by Oct. 14. No terms were divulged. The plaintiff is identified only as Jane Doe.

According to the suit filed in June 2023 and amended July a month later, Doe met Polanski at a party in 1973. The alleged encounter occurred four years before the director fled the U.S. after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor involving a different victim, Samantha Geimer.

Months later, Doe accepted Polanksi’s invitation to dinner, and she met him beforehand at his Benedict Canyon home, where he gave her two shots of tequila while aware that she was underage, the suit stated.

Polanski later drove the pair to dinner at Le Restaurant, located on La Cienega Boulevard, the suit stated. Their table was not ready when they arrived, so they went to the bar, and Polanski ordered more tequila for Doe, the suit stated.

After being seated for dinner, but before they ate, Doe began experiencing dizziness from the tequila and went to the restroom feeling ill, the suit stated. When she returned to the table, she told Polanski she didn’t feel well and was going outside to get fresh air, according to the suit, which further stated that the director followed Doe outside and drove her back to his house.

Although Doe does not remember how she got from the car into Polanski’s home, she does recall him leading her to his bedroom and that she passed out on his bed, the suit stated. Doe remembers awakening to find Polanski in the bed next to her and that she declined his request to have sex with her, the suit stated.

Ignoring her plea of “Please don’t do this,” he removed her clothes and sexually assaulted her, causing her “tremendous physical and emotional pain and suffering,” the suit alleged.

Polanski later drove Doe home, and that was the last time she saw him, the suit stated.

Roman Polanski

In previous court papers, Polanski’s then-attorney, Neville Johnson, cited multiple defenses on behalf of the director, including violation of the statute of limitations, that the plaintiff’s damages were based on guesswork, speculation and conjecture and that the woman accused Polanski of a crime, sexual battery, that did not become law until 1990.

The court papers asked that plaintiff Jane Doe’s case be dismissed “with prejudice” — meaning it could not be refiled — and that the plaintiff “take nothing” from Polanski.

Polanski is currently represented by attorney Alexander Rufus-Isaacs.