The Legal Debacle of Roman Polanski | Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown

CW: This episode discusses the sexual assault of a child.

Happy New Year, Misfits! We're back after a much needed holiday break, and we have a doozy of a case for you.

Roman Polanski, a French and Polish movie director, producer, screenwriter and actor, is a huge name in Hollywood. He has received several of the movie industry's top accolades for his original and popular films, but his ultimate downfall occurred in 1977 when he was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl. After messy legal proceedings led to Polanski fleeing the United States, never to return, the case went down in Hollywood infamy - mainly because justice was never fully served.

Episode Sources:

“Roman Polanski and the woman he pleaded guilty to raping pose together 45 years later” by Nardine Saad, May 1, 2023, Los Angeles Times

“L.A. fugitive Polanski seized in Switzerland” by Harriet Ryan, September 28, 2009, Los Angeles Times

“Timeline of Roman Polanski’s 45-year-old teen sex abuse case” by The Associated Press, July 18, 2022, The Associated Press

“Is Roman Polanski Rape Case Near An End? Here’s Why It Has Taken 45 Years - Guest Column” by William C. Rempel and Sam Wasson, February 9, 2023, Deadline

“Roman Polanski’s Alleged Sexual Assaults: What You Need to Know” by Jessica Wakeman, October 5, 2017, Rolling Stone

“What does Hollywood’s reverence for child rapist Roman Polanski tell us?” by Hadley Freeman, January 30, 2018, The Guardian

“Roman Polanski loses court case over expulsion from Oscar body” by Jill Serjeant, August 25, 2020, Reuters

“Unsealed transcripts open door to end of Roman Polanski’s 45-year legal saga in the U.S.” by James Queally, July 18, 2022, Los Angeles Times

“Roman Polanski’s Wife Interviews His Rape Victim, Who Says: ‘I Was Fine. I’m Still Fine.’” by Zack Sharf, April 14, 2023, Variety

“Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired,” HBO Documentary directed by Marina Zenovich, YouTube

“Roman Polanski sexual abuse case” Wikipedia page