Luc Besson Photo: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Five more women have accused French director Luc Besson of sexual misconduct, bringing the total number of accusers to nine. According to an investigation by Mediapart, Besson’s former assistant said the director coerced and “blackmailed” her into a sexual relationship, and detailed a pattern of sexual harassment and three sexual encounters. Two students at Besson’s film studio complex Cité du Cinéma accused the director of harassment. A former employee of the French movie studio EuropaCorp also accused Besson of inappropriate behavior.

Besson was previously accused of sexually assaulting a casting director, and behaving “inappropriately” with two other women. In May, Belgian-Dutch actress Sand Van Roy filed a rape complaint against the Valerian director. Besson denied the rape allegation, and it is still under investigation by Paris police.