Cannes’s queen of controversy: Maïwenn, the director who dared to cast Johnny Depp
Telegraph
23-05-16 16:01
French director Maïwenn Le Besco, known simply as Maïwenn, is generating controversy even before her latest film, Jeanne du Barry, premieres at Cannes. Reports suggest Maïwenn cut much of star Johnny Depp's dialogue during filming, while she herself hit the headlines in March after allegedly assaulting Edwy Plenel, editor-in-chief of Mediapart, by spitting in his face in a restaurant. Plenel is suing her for damages. Maïwenn then confirmed on chat show Quotidien that she did assault him, before declining to discuss the issue in more detail. In an interview with Premiere magazine she suggested she and Depp often clashed.
Maïwenn began acting as a child, and started a relationship with famed French director and producer Luc Besson when she was just 15. He repeatedly said the relationship between Jean Reno's hitman and Natalie Portman's schoolgirl in his 1994 film Léon was based on his romance with Maïwenn, who has also described the movie's "love story between a 12-year-old girl and a 30-year-old man" as "very much inspired by ours". Despite their eventual separation, Maïwenn remains friends with Besson, leading to speculation her assault on Plenel was due to articles Mediapart ran about rape claims made against Besson, none of which were ever substantiated.
Maïwenn has achieved critical success as a filmmaker, but is seen as a controversial figure in France due to her views. Not only has she criticised feminists as "women who do not like men", but she has also been scathing about proponents of the #MeToo movement. "Now, me, if I agree to go to a man's room at 1am, I suspect that it is not to talk about a role,” she told Paris Match.