Paris appeal court cuts Isabelle Adjani's sentence for tax fraud to 10 months suspended and €10,000 fine

Background on the actress

Isabelle Adjani, 71, is a French cinema icon and five-time César award winner, known for roles in films such as "La Reine Margot", "Camille Claudel", and Andrzej Żuławski's "Possession". She received Oscar nominations for "The Story of Adele H." (1975) and "Camille Claudel" (1988). Her legal troubles contrast with a celebrated career spanning five decades.

The verdict

On Wednesday, the Paris Court of Appeal handed down a significantly lighter sentence, reducing her penalty to a 10-month suspended prison term and a €10,000 fine. The court confirmed her guilt for aggravated tax fraud and money laundering, but the new punishment marks a steep departure from the December 2023 first-instance ruling, which had imposed a two-year suspended sentence and a €250,000 fine. The appeal trial, held in early April 2026, re-examined the charges and led to this softer outcome.

What she was convicted of

Adjani was found to have established a fictitious domicile in Portugal for the years 2016 and 2017, disguising a donation as a loan in 2013 (some reports specify 2014) to reduce her tax liability, and routing an undeclared sum through the United States in 2014. The court determined that while she maintained a residence in Portugal, her main interests and centre of life remained in France, obliging her to declare her full income to the French tax authorities.

Adjani's defence

The actress, who has described herself as suffering from a severe administrative phobia, told the court she had never filled out a tax return. She pinned blame on a former tax advisor who, she said, had promised to put her financial affairs in order but instead turned out to be a predator. She declared herself an "ideal prey" and a "victim of successive scams" beyond the fiscal sphere.

“I have never filled out a tax return. And thankfully, because it would have been disastrous.”

Adjani insisted she was wholly incapable of orchestrating a fraud. "I am incapable of it, I can't count, I don't care about owning anything," she told the bench, arguing that she lacked the strategic mindset required for such an offense. She portrayed herself as having been punished for being stolen from rather than for wilful deception.

Reaction and next steps

Her lawyer, David Lepidi, expressed extreme relief at the reduced penalty but confirmed that he would nonetheless appeal to the Court of Cassation. "All this for that, the criminal sanction is drastically reduced," he said, suggesting the case had been overblown. Adjani herself told AFP she felt relieved and that what mattered to her was respect for the law, adding that she would seek that respect before the highest appeal court.

“All this for that, the criminal sanction is drastically reduced.”

The lawyer for the French tax administration, Ralph Boussier, had argued during the appeal that Adjani's centre of interest was clearly in France and that she was therefore obliged to declare her income there. The court ultimately agreed, but chose to substantially lower the punishment.

Prison: First instance (months)24

Prison: Appeal (months)10

Fine: First instance (€k)250

Fine: Appeal (€k)10

Prison: First instance (months)

24

Prison: Appeal (months)

10

Fine: First instance (€k)

250

Fine: Appeal (€k)

10

Data from the article text