Why was Théo Navarro-Mussy banned from Cannes Film Festival? Allegations against the actor explored

In a recent turn of events, the Cannes Film Festival has barred Théo Navarro-Mussy.

The French actor was banned from appearing on the red carpet of one of the cinema’s biggest events. Navarro-Mussy acted in Case 137, titled in French as Dossier 137, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday, May 15, 2025. However, Théo faced the ban before the film’s premiere.

Thierry Frémaux, the festival’s director, confirmed the news of the ban to French magazine Télérama. Théo Navarro-Mussy has been barred amidst the r*pe and s*xual assault allegations against him. The actor has been accused by his three former partners. They previously filed a joint complaint against him.

According to Télérama, the alleged incidents happened in 2018, 2019, and 2020. His ex-partners have accused him of r*pe along with physical and psychological violence. Although a court dismissed the complaint in April due to a lack of evidence, Télérama reported that the plaintiffs are planning to appeal.

Remarking on the ongoing investigations and ban from the Cannes Film Festival, Thierry Frémaux told Télérama (via Deadline),

“Because there is an appeal and therefore a continuation of the investigation, the case is not suspended. Once it’s ruled on definitively in the courts, it will be different.”

Marion Pouzet-Gagliardi, the lawyer who represents Théo Navarro-Mussy, also told Télérama (via ABC News),

“I have received no information indicating that any proceedings are ongoing. This proposed complaint with civil party status has, to my knowledge, not been legally filed.”

Dossier 137 director reacts to Théo Navarro-Mussy getting banned from appearing on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet

Case 137 (Dossier 137 in France) is among the films competing for the Palme d'Or this year. Ahead of the film’s premiere in the main competition, one of the actors was handed a ban forbidding him from appearing on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet. While Théo Navarro-Mussy asserted that the investigations against Théo Navarro-Mussy were still underway, the director of Dossier 137 also had his say on the matter.

Deadline reached out to Dominik Moll, the director-writer of Case 137, after the press conference on Friday, May 16, 2025. The outlet asked Moll about his opinion on the ban on Théo Navarro-Mussy. The two-time César Award-winning director said,

“I understand their decision because they had an engagement not to put forward people who were accused of violence and sexual violence.”

Moll talked about the allegations being unrelated to the film, as he added,

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“It had nothing to do with the film, because it was previous to it, and we didn’t know about it. But I understand their decision.”

Dossier 137 stars the 2019 Best Actress César Award winner, Léa Drucker, in the lead role of Stéphanie Bertrand, a police investigator working for Internal Affairs. The film premiered on Thursday and received an eight-minute-long standing ovation from the audience, according to Deadline.

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