Roman Polanski Acquitted of Defamation in French Court

The court ruled on Polanski's comments about Charlotte Lewis, not on the rape allegations she made against him.

Polanski was cleared of defaming British actor Charlotte Lewis after calling her allegations a 'heinous lie.'
The court's decision focused solely on the defamation charge, not the rape accusation from the 1980s.
Lewis, who accused Polanski of raping her when she was 16, plans to appeal the verdict.
Polanski, 90, did not attend the trial and continues to face multiple allegations of sexual assault.
The acquittal coincided with the opening day of the Cannes Film Festival, noted by Polanski's lawyer as symbolic.