Maïwenn hints that she’ll eventually explain why she spat at journalist: ‘I know why I did it’

Director of Johnny Depp’s new film had a shocking interaction with a member of the press

Maïwenn has spoken out about the reports that she spat at a journalist, hinting that she will explain her reasons for doing so at a later time.

The director and actor has been in the headlines in recent days due to her film, Jeanne du Barry, opening the Cannes Film Festival.

A biographical drama about the life of Louis XV and his mistress, Jeanne, the film is notable for being Johnny Depp’s first since winning his defamation trial against his ex-wife, Amber Heard.

Ahead of the film’s premiere on Tuesday (16 May), Variety published a feature with Edwy Plenel, a journalist who the director spat at in a restaurant in March.

Maïwenn has admitted to the offensive act on multiple occasions.

In a new interview with The Times on Friday (19 May), Maïwenn once again attested to spitting at the Mediapart magazine editor-in-chief but did not give further insight into the interaction.

“This is true,” she replied when writer Kevin Maher asked, in a manner described as “casual as anything”.

“This is true. But nobody knows why I did it. It’s not the right moment to talk about why I did it. I will maybe talk about it later. But I know why I did it.”

Maiwenn (Getty Images for Red Sea IFF)

In the Variety piece, Plenel said he believes the filmmaker’s actions were due to his publication’s reporting on the rape and sexual assault allegations against Luc Besson, her ex-husband, with whom she had a child at age 16 when he was 33.

Jeanne du Barry has been praised by critics, despite Depp’s controversial casting. He sued Heard for defamation after claiming that she had falsely implied he was abusive towards her in a 2018 Washington Post opinion article.

The jury also ruled in favour of Heard’s countersuit, in which she claimed that Depp’s lawyer had defamed her by describing her abuse allegations as a “hoax”. Heard later settled the defamation case with Depp.

Elsewhere at Cannes, Brie Larson was taken aback when a journalist asked her opinion about Jeanne du Barry opening the festival.