Asia Argento has opened up about the struggle to rebuild her life after she was labelled a 'paedophile'.

The Italian actress' life was turned upside down when she was accused of sexually assaulting Jimmy Bennett.

Asia slept with Jimmy, now 22, when he was 17. They had starred together in movie The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things in 2004, when Jimmy was eight.

The age of consent in California, where the alleged incident took place, is 18.

She's since claimed that he assaulted her after pictures of them lying in bed together surfaced online.

Now, in an exclusive interview with Mirror Online, the 43-year-old has revealed how she's coping after her year from hell.

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Asia, who became involved in the #MeToo movement after making accusations against Harvey Weinstein - who denies everything, lost her boyfriend, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, when he took his own life in June, and her grandmother too.

She told us: "Since early September, my son is living with his dad in the States and it’s a decision we made together to protect him, because at first people were framing me like a paedophile and I can’t think of a worse stigma for someone.

"I have faced this year, huge adversity and I don’t know how many people could have recovered from this and I know I haven’t fully recovered from this.

"I’m trying to rebuild my life slowly. It’s been a curse, but I have to see it as a gift for me to use the time every day the hours that I have every day to do something positive, to grow as a woman and human being and it’s a process.

"It’s work and I’m truly devoted to this, to my children, and rebuilding my life and my career."

Asia, who was sacked from her job on Italian X Factor, said that she could never have anticipated the "tsunami" of hate she'd receive when she first decided to speak out as part of the #MeToo movement.

(Image: AFP)

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

She also spoke of the "lies" spread by Rose McGowan and her partner Rain Dove. Rose has retracted her statement.

Asia told us: "She said I was receiving nudes from a 12 year old boy and that can not only ruin someone’s career but also people’s trust in that person and breaking me as a human being.

"I've never suffered anything so grave as this injustice and these lies."

She added: "I just have to focus right now, without resentment, because I’m satisfied to a certain degree that at least Rose retracted her lies, but I have to focus on rebuilding my own life and the wellbeing of my family and my career."

Asia said she didn't speak out on #MeToo because she wanted to be in the public eye, but that she did it because it "seemed like the right thing to do".

(Image: AFP) (Image: FayesVision/WENN.com)

The actress said being labelled a 'paedophile' is devastating, particularly because she's worked with children as an acting coach since the age of 27.

After starting out as a child star herself, Asia said she dedicated her time to helping young actors prepare for auditions and screentests, and that "thousands" of them have been in touch with her to offer their support and express their shock at the claims being made against her.

Asia said the allegations made against her were particularly difficult as they came at a time when she was grieving for her partner.

She said: "Calling me these things as I was trying to help my children understand something so incompressible that I was also trying to understand and still try to understand every day and probably never will understand.

(Image: REX/Shutterstock) (Image: REUTERS)

"But only with acceptance I can move on and I’m determined to live and to grow and i just can’t understand it, maybe because I do have a life and children and I do feel compassion for other people."

She said her children keep her strong.

She added: "If I didn't have [my] children I don’t know if I would have had the strength to get up again and be beaten down again and get up again, and this resilience, this urge to live and to make it through and to also better myself from these stipulations and these horrible things that have happened.

"So it is for my children, but first I’m doing everything I can to heal in my spirit and my mind and my body."

Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@trinitymirror.com or call us direct 0207 29 33033