- Samantha Geimer was just 13 when Polanski raped her in 1977
- The cover of her book features a photo taken by the film director just weeks before the notorious incident that shaped their lives
- Now 48, she says her book is an attempt to reclaim her identity
- 'I am more than "Sex Victim Girl,"' she writes
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The former teen whom Roman Polanski was convicted of raping in 1977 - leading to one of Hollywood's most notorious scandals and the director's flight from the U.S. - has chosen a photograph taken by him as the cover of her soon to be released memoir.
After nearly 35 years, Samantha Geimer, 48, is finally telling her story in ‘The Girl: A Life in the Shadow of Roman Polanski’ due out in September.
The controversial cover image – a haunting close-up shot of Geimer, then aged 13 and known by her maiden name Gailey – was taken by Polanski on Feb. 20, 1977.
Samantha Geimer, now 48, has said that using the photo and writing the book are part of her desire to reclaim her identity
Less than three weeks later he drugged and raped her at Jack Nicholson's Mulholland Drive home during a modeling shoot when he also gave her alcohol and a quaalude.
Polanski took the cover shot during their first photo session together at her home, during which he persuaded her to pose topless, reports Hollywood Reporter.
According to Geimer, using the photo and writing the book are part of her desire to reclaim her identity.
'I am more than “Sex Victim Girl,” a tag the media pinned on me,' said Geimer, who long ago identified herself as Polanski's victim.
'I offer my story now without rage, but with purpose - to share a tale that in its detail will reclaim my identity.'
Publisher Atria Books promises that the book, on sale Sept 17, ‘will give readers insight into many dimensions of the story that have never been previously revealed.’
Samantha Geimer, right, now 48, has said her
book, 'The Girl: Emerging from the Shadow of Roman Polanski', is part of
her desire to reclaim her identity from the 79-year-old film director,
left
In 1993, he agreed to pay her $500,000 to settle the lawsuit, although years later it was unclear if he actually paid.
As part of the civil suit, her attorney Lawrence Silver, who also contributes to the book, demanded Polanski turn over all the pictures he took.
But Silver always believed others existed and years later they were discovered – including the cover image
‘In executing the search warrant, the police didn’t recognize the importance of a receipt/claim check from Sav-On Drugs’ photograph department,’ writes Silver in the book.
‘Years later, I was told that Polanski gave his lawyer the receipt, and they secured the printed roll of film and negatives from the drug store.
'During the civil suit, his lawyer had to turn those photos over to me. These photographs, important both legally and historically, would likely have never been discovered if not for the civil suit.’
Haunted: Polanski drugged and raped Geimer at
Jack Nicholson's Mulholland Drive home during a modeling shoot when he
also gave her alcohol and a quaalude
In exchange, a Los Angeles judge agreed to drop the remaining charges and sentence him to prison for a 90-day psychiatric evaluation.
He was released after 42 days by an evaluator who deemed him mentally sound and unlikely to offend again, but the judge threatened further sanctions and Polanski fled the United States.
The 79-year-old Polanski, whose films include 'Chinatown' and 'Rosemary's Baby,' is restricted by an Interpol warrant in effect in 188 countries, but he moves freely between Switzerland and France.
He was freed from Swiss house arrest in 2010 after the government refused to deport him to the United States.
Geimer has said that she forgives him and has joined his bid for dismissal.
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