Adam Driver’s ‘Don Quixote’ Co-Star Lidia Franco Clarifies Comments About Attack: ‘It Wasn’t an Assault’

Adam Driver’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote co-star Lidia Franco has clarified the recent comments she made about the star allegedly attacking her, saying now that “it wasn’t an assault.” On Tuesday, reports emerged that Franco had appeared in a podcast interview and made the claims against Driver. She alleged that he attacked her with a chair in some manner, but the details were unclear. Now, in a new statement published by Just Jared, Franco says the whole thing is a “misunderstanding.”

“Our characters, in the movie The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, had to be physically close. I considered the actor’s behavior to be rude because, in the preparation of a scene, he didn’t take the care I believe he should have taken,” Franco went on to say, while speaking to NiT. “Our characters had to be physically close and, every time he stood up with the force of the character to do the rest of the scene, the chair in which he was sitting would bump into me with some force, which bothered me.”

The actress explained that she was simply “venting” and had “no intention to bring any harm” to Driver. “It wasn’t assault, nor did I ever feel or report that it was the intention of the actor,” Franco added. “I am sorry for the misunderstanding.” Notably, all of Franco’s comments were translated from Portuguese, which may have led to confusion if her words were misinterpreted.

In her original statement, Franco said, “I keep from this movie a very bad experience because of Adam Driver.” She then praised his talent as an actor, but added that “he is a very bad person. He behaved very badly with me, physically. He attacked me.” Franco then claimed that “it was a camouflaged assault, with a chair” that “it was a camouflaged assault, with a chair.”

Franco also stated that she was dismissed from set afterward, but Ukbar Filmes, a Portuguese producer of the movie, has issued a statement saying that no extras were fired from set. “During the shooting in Portugal, there were no dismissals or insults to the extras,” the statement read, “only the request was made for them not to take pictures or interfere with the work of the American actor.” It does not appear that Driver nor anyone else involved in The Man Who Killed Don Quixote have commented on the situation.