Scarlett Johansson Wins Defamation Lawsuit Against French Writer


Scarlett Johansson will protect her image, even the perception of her image, fiercely. Just ask Gregiore Delacourt.

Johansson sued Delacourt for £50,000 for what she thinks is the lead female character in Delacourt’s latest book, La Première Chose Qu’on Regarde (The First Thing You Look At) resembles her too closely. It should; Delacourt freely admits he based the female lead on Johansson because he considers Johansson “the archetype of beauty today,” according to The Guardian.

Johansson’s claim in a French court was that Delacourt’s book made false claims about Johansson’s private life through the protagonist in his novel. In the novel, the protagonist has two affairs, which Johansson has never done. Johansson felt that this kind of fiction was defamatory. Delacourt states the protagonist is based on Johansson, but is not Johansson. The French judge agreed with Johansson, but clearly rejected Johansson’s accusation that the publishing of the book “fraudulently exploited her name, her image, and her celebrity.” Her request to block the book from becoming a movie was denied, as well.

According to Refinery 29, the protagonist, Jeanine Foucamprez, is mistaken for Johansson by the mechanic character in the book. Johansson claims this was “hurtful and demeaning.” Delacourt says, “It was meant as the highest praise. She is an archetypal beauty of our times, very human with a touching fragility,” he said. “She is a wonderful, iconic actress. I was hoping that she might send me flowers because this book is, in a way, a declaration of love.” In the end, Johansson received £2,500, and an additional £2,500 to help cover legal fees.

Emmanuelle Allibert of the publishers J-C Lattès said they and Delacourt were happy with the judgment. “All of Scarlett Johansson’s demands were rejected except one thing that was seen to be an attack in her private life over two relations that she never had. All her other demands, including damages of €50,000, were rejected, notably that there should be a ban on the book being translated or made into a film. We just have to cut out the bit about the affairs, which is just four lines,” Allibert told The Guardian. “The book has already been translated into German and Italian and there has been interest in translating it into English, but publishers were waiting for the outcome of the case. Now we are open to offers.”

Delacourt is still wondering why Johansson reacted the way she did. “I didn’t expect it at all… especially as I’m not sure she’s even read the book. It’s not been translated. I thought she might send me flowers as [the book] was a declaration of love for her, but she didn’t understand it at all,” he said. “It’s a strange paradox — but a very American one.”

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