Michael Lonsdale exploitation case: convicted couple files appeal

A couple convicted of exploiting the late Franco-British actor Michael Lonsdale has filed an appeal against their sentences. The Paris Criminal Court previously found Anne Facérias Hervouët des Vignes guilty of committing “acts gravely prejudicial” to the actor, who died in 2020, resulting in a one-year suspended prison sentence.

The case centers on checks and three wills written by Lonsdale in late 2019. One will named the association Diaconie de la Beauté as the universal legatee, effectively disinheriting his nieces and nephews. The court ruled that Anne Facérias Hervouët des Vignes and her husband, Daniel Facérias, were fully aware of the actor's state of vulnerability.

Daniel Facérias, convicted of receiving the proceeds of abuse of weakness and abuse of trust, has also appealed. Additionally, the Diaconie de la Beauté association and its related endowment fund, both of which have filed appeals, were ordered to pay fines of 20,000 and 40,000 euros, respectively.