Next year, Roman Polanski will stand trial in the United States in a civil case concerning the alleged rape of a minor in 1973

Gloria Allred, a prominent Hollywood attorney known for representing victims of sexual misconduct, including those involved in the #MeToo movement, announced that the case against the director of “The Pianist” is scheduled to be heard in Los Angeles in August 2025.

Although Roman Polanski cannot be compelled to attend the trial, Allred stated that the civil proceedings offer an opportunity for her client, identified as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, to pursue justice for an alleged assault dating back to 1973.

According to the lawsuit filed the previous year, Polanski allegedly took the then-teenage girl out to dinner at a restaurant in Los Angeles. After giving her tequila and noticing her feeling dizzy, he purportedly drove her to his residence in the upscale Benedict Canyon area, where he is accused of sexually assaulting her despite her pleas for him to stop.

Allred informed reporters that the plaintiff contends Polanski forcibly removed her clothes and subjected her to sexual assault, resulting in significant physical and emotional trauma.

The woman, referred to as “Robin” when she initially made the allegations against Polanski in 2017, filed the civil suit seeking unspecified damages in June 2023, just prior to the expiration of a California law allowing an extended window for claims against alleged perpetrators of sexual offenses.

Polanski, a 90-year-old Oscar winner, remains a polarizing figure in the film industry, with some praising his artistic brilliance while others accuse him of being a serial sexual predator.

In the late 1970s, Polanski fled the United States while awaiting sentencing for the rape of Samantha Geimer, then 13 years old, whom he had drugged and assaulted. Despite this, Geimer has publicly defended Polanski and was photographed with him the previous year.

Polanski is currently facing a defamation trial in France initiated by British actress Charlotte Lewis, who alleges that he assaulted her in 1983 when she was 16. Throughout these accusations and legal battles, Polanski has consistently denied any wrongdoing.