Polanski Rape Victim Writes Book, Cover Raises Eyebrows
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Samantha Geimer was 13 years old when she was raped by film director Roman Polanski.
She's now written a book about the ordeal, Polanski's fleeing the country, her perspective, why she is breaking her silence.
But in a bizarre twist raising eyebrows around the country, the book's cover is a picture of the then 13-year-old, taken by Polanski.
KCAL9's Serene Branson spoke Wednesday to Andy Lewis, book editor for "The Hollywood Reporter."
"I was riveted by the image and wrote back [to the publisher] 'Is there anything interesting about the photo'? and he came back and said, 'Boy, have I got a story for you,'" said Lewis.
The photo was taken in 1977 at Polanski's house at Geimer's first modeling shoot.
"Once you [realize] what's going to happen three weeks later, makes it really powerful and moving and also unnerving," said Lewis.
Three weeks later, Geimer's new memoir reveals Polanski invited her to Jack Nicholson's house, gave her champagne and Quaaludes and then raped her.
In the years since, Geimer has given few interviews. Branson quotes from a CBS interview from 2003 where Geimer said, "I would love never to talk about this again. I am tired of telling everyone what happened."
The soon-to-be published memoir leaves nothing out.
She also talks about a 1988 civil suit that turned up the cover photo and several more at a Sav-on Drug Store.
Polanski never picked up the photos from the developer.
Geimer got all the rights to the photos and didn't hesitate to use one for the cover.
Lewis understands why Geimer chose an image from that time and from that particular photographer.
"Ever since the story broke, it has been illustrated by Roman Polanski. She wanted to put her face on the story of part of reclaiming the story for herself," said Lewis.
