The Shady Side Of Eva Green

The following article features allegations of sexual assault and domestic abuse.

Eva Green has definitely had an interesting Hollywood career over the years, having played anything and everything from witches and warrior princesses to a Bond girl. The Paris native began her career by doing theater, before making her big screen debut in the controversial arthouse film, "The Dreamers," back in 2003. However, it wasn't until three years later that Green really launched into fame, thanks to her performance in the James Bond movie, "Casino Royale."

Her penchant for depicting characters on the darker side of things in projects like "Penny Dreadful" and "Dark Shadows" has given Green the reputation of being the entertainment industry's gothic queen. The actor did acknowledge that side to her persona to The Guardian, where she explained, "People around me say, 'You must stop doing dark roles.' But there's something fascinating in darkness." She even elaborated on why she's drawn to such characters, adding, "You learn about yourself as well by going to these extremes as an actor." Green is also known for her risqué scenes in films like "300: Rise of an Empire." However, she doesn't get why it's such a big deal to some, telling ShortList, "People always talk about the sex scenes in my films ... Sex is part of our lives, so I think it's justified."

Green is an undoubtedly talented actor who has remained relatively low-key in the public eye. Still, she's been known to make a few missteps, whether it's been on set, during interviews, or in her personal life. So let's break down that shady side of Eva Green.

Eva Green made headlines in January 2023 for her legal battle with a film production company over the 2019 film, "A Patriot." According to Variety, the "Dumbo" actor sued White Lantern for not paying her, despite the film never getting made. White Lantern and the film's finance company then countersued Green for making excessive demands and sabotaging the movie. She denied those accusations, claiming its failure wasn't her fault. She told the court, per The Evening Standard, "I felt the movie was not in safe hands. It was so chaotic ... I still wanted the movie to happen."

What makes this shady for Green are the messages she had sent via WhatsApp insulting the film's crew members. These texts were apparently used in court to prove that Green had wanted out of the film. The Daily Mail reported that she called one of the film's executive producers, Jake Seal, a "devious sociopath" and "a madman." In another message about him, she wrote, "I cannot believe that moron Jake ... pure vomit." 

If that's not bad enough, she even texted the director Dan Pringle to say, "Let's hope we get the f*** out of [Seal's] evil claws." Lawyers for White Lantern claimed that Green had colluded with Pringle to make their own version of the film. To top it all off, Green apparently referred to those who worked for the production company as "sh**ty peasants." Yikes. 

Eva Green didn't just send nasty messages about a film crew, but then seemingly made excuses for her bad behavior instead of apologizing. Per the Evening Standard, the actor did at least acknowledge that it wasn't a good look, saying, "I was not expecting to have my WhatsApp messages exposed in court. It's already very humiliating." As mentioned, Green had denied on the stand that she tried to quit the defunct film, "A Patriot," and instead claimed, "Sometimes you say things under extreme pressure, and it just comes out."

To prove her point, you could say that Green also threw Daniel Craig under the bus despite him not being involved. Referencing the notorious statement once made by her former "Casino Royale" co-star regarding his frustrations with playing James Bond, she explained, "[Craig said] he would rather slash [his] wrists than do another Bond movie. He did honor his contract, he did another Bond movie." We're sure he appreciated that being dredged up once again. 

In an attempt to explain why her messages about the film came out the way they did, Green stated, "I don't know ... it's my Frenchness coming out sometimes," per Sky News. Unsurprisingly, French people didn't like her leaning her rudeness on such a stereotype, with Frederic Says from Radio France responding on Twitter, "'Thanks for the international image." Meanwhile, another person tweeted, "I am French and do not insult anyone publicly! This is down to respect and education!"

Eva Green was rumored to have been involved in some major Hollywood breakups. Back in 2012, she was accused of having an affair with her "Dark Shadows" co-star Johnny Depp while he was with his longtime partner, Vanessa Paradis. According to Celebitchy, tabloids alleged that Paradis had been jealous of his chemistry with Green, with a source reportedly telling The Enquirer, "They became close on the set. She spent lots of time in his trailer." Coincidentally or otherwise, just a few months later, Depp and Paradis split up after 14 years together.

During an interview with Roadshow Films, Green gushed about her co-star, stating, "He's a very ... beautiful soul ... He's just a real pleasure and he has a great sense of humor." Meanwhile, she told GQ that while filming "Dark Shadows," Depp gifted her Charles Baudelaire's poetry collection "The Flowers of Evil" — a book renowned for its eroticism.  

Later in 2015, Green was then spotted with Tim Burton's arm around her, soon after splitting from Helena Bonham Carter, his partner of 13 years. This led to some speculation that the filmmaker had left the "Harry Potter" star for Green. Indeed, Carter herself even hinted that it was Burton who had left her, telling The Guardian, "I didn't leave, put it that way." Green denied a romance, writing on Instagram, "Tim Burton and I are not together, unlike what the rumors say. I am very lucky to have worked with him."

Eva Green raised some eyebrows when she spoke out against a woman ever playing James Bond on-screen, despite many other celebrities being all for it. The "Penny Dreadful" star had told Vanity Fair, "I'm for women, but I really think James Bond should remain a man. It doesn't make sense for him to be a woman." She seemingly tried to justify her stance, by saying that women could still be in action movies and play superheroes ... just not James Bond. "There is history with the character that should continue," she said.

Green's comments came after Idris Elba had suggested that a woman play Bond despite many fans wanting him to take over the iconic role. He'd previously told Variety, "I think that character, everyone would like to see [them] do something different with it." His former "The Wire" co-star, Dominic West, also once told The Times,  "Maybe a transgender Bond would be cool."

There are women in Hollywood who apparently had been interested in playing "Jane Bond," including former "Game of Thrones" star Emilia Clark, per the Daily Star. Priyanka Chopra seemingly was as well, since she dismissed the idea of being a Bond girl during an interview with Complex, saying, "F**k that — I wanna be Bond." Of course, Green was a Bond girl and even put down that role as well, telling Vanity Fair, "I originally had reservations about being a Bond girl. I didn't want to be a bimbo."

Eva Green was an important part of the #MeToo movement for being one of the women who called out Harvey Weinstein for sexual assault. Yet, she's worked with and supported some controversial men over the years, including convicted rapist Roman Polanski. She even defended him by telling the Evening Standard, "He's a nice man." When it came to his crimes, she insisted that Polanski had a different version of events — and that he was a great artist, regardless. "People are complicated," she added. "... It's a hard one. You sell your soul, I guess."

In 2003, she also worked with the controversial director Bernardo Bertolucci on "The Dreamers." 15 years after that film's release, he blasted Ridley Scott for firing Kevin Spacey from a film after he was accused of sexual assault. Green defended Bertolucci too, telling the Evening Standard, "He was paternal, a nice man. I don't really know why he's saying this at the moment." Green almost worked with director Lars Von Trier as well, despite him being accused of sexual harassment. When asked about him, she dished, "I like to take risks," before admitting that she pulled out his project because they clashed over sex scenes.

Green also publicly supported Johnny Depp in the face of his defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard, writing on Instagram in 2022, "I have no doubt Johnny will emerge with his good name." While many commenters agreed, others condemned her statement with one person writing, "One thing is sure, she doesn't stand with victims."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.