Blood tests negative in Luc Besson rape case

PARIS - AFP

Toxicological blood tests carried out on an actress who accused French film director Luc Besson of having raped her at a hotel in Paris were negative, a source close to the investigation said May 28.

The 27-year-old woman, a model and actress, lodged a complaint a day after she met earlier this month with Besson, who has denounced the allegation as "fantasist accusations."

She told police she had drunk a cup of tea during the meeting at the Bristol hotel and then "felt unwell" and "lost consciousness."

She did not claim to have been drugged but blood tests were conducted to examine all possibilities, according to another source close to the investigation.

The complainant also said she had been in a relationship with the 59-year-old director for around two years, stating she felt pressured into being intimate with him for professional reasons.

The allegation against Besson, who notably directed "The Big Blue," "Leon" and "The Fifth Element," comes amid a wave of accusations of sexual misconduct against men in the entertainment industry since the fall of US producer Harvey Weinstein.