Actress Judith Chemla Shares Concerning Photos of Domestic Abuse Injuries: ‘I Can’t Stand It Anymore’

French actress Judith Chemla published images of her bruised face on Instagram last week, claiming she was assaulted by filmmaker Yohan Manca, with whom she shares a daughter. Chemla, 38, said the photos were taken last year and claimed she was still being harassed by Manca. Last year, Chemla skipped the Cannes Film Festival after filing a complaint against Manca, accusing him of throwing a cell phone at her.

In June 2021, Manca allegedly threw a cell phone at Chemla near the Theatre du Rond-Point in Paris. The next day, she filed a police report against Manca and did not travel to Cannes, where their film Mes feres et moi was premiering. Manca was investigated, and jailed for 10 days, reports Variety. He was also banned from visiting the Paris district where Chemla lives. Chemla filed a second complaint against Manca, who was then given a suspended eight-month prison sentence for domestic violence. She is now threatening to file a third complaint, which would lead to Manca serving jail time.

On July 3, Chemla published three photos of her bruised face, allegedly from 2021. “A year ago my face was hurt, some blue and purple under my eye, I saw myself deformed,” she wrote in French. “A year ago I looked at my face in the mirror and I knew I couldn’t turn a blind eye. The father of my daughter. Those who are capable of doing this must be put away.”

Chemla said she was not ashamed of the photos, but Manca should be. She claimed he continues to put “pressure on me” and attempts to manipulate me. “Instead of brainwashing my child, he should be ashamed and lay low, seeking forgiveness,” Chemla wrote. “That’s not the case.”

“I have so much proof that he keeps trying to harm me,” Chemla wrote. “Returning to the police station a third time? File a third complaint in one year? Being in the film industry and having the sword of Damocles hanging over his head of an eight-month suspended sentence… That’s not enough? I’m exhausted. What needs to happen for him to leave me alone? Go to prison for real?”

Chemla earned Cesar Award nominations for her films Camille Rewinds (2012) and A Woman’s Life (2016). Her other credits include A Day at the Museum (2008), The Princess of Montpensier (2010), In The Name of My Daughter (2014), and Maya (2018). She also starred in the International Emmy-winning series Spiral. Her upcoming projects include La grande magie and Tikkun, a series based on Fabrice Arfi’s book D’argent et de sang.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.