BERLIN — Dieter Wedel, one of Germany’s most famous television directors and screenwriters, has died, the court that was reviewing the lawsuit alleging him to be sexually assaulted said Wednesday. he was 82 years old.
A Munich state court has said Wedel died in Hamburg on July 13, German news agency DPA reported. A court was due to announce Wednesday whether a case accused of raping an aspiring actress in a Munich hotel in 1996 will go to trial.
Wedell was best known for his string of successful television series in the 1990s and early 2000s. Later, in central Germany, Bad He organized an open-air theater festival in Haasfeld.
He was the first public figure to be mentioned in Germany four years ago when the MeToo movement against suspected sexual abusers in media and art gained momentum in the country.
He denied allegations that he coerced sex with multiple women and rejected the rape accusation filed in March 2021.
His attorney said Wedell died after a long illness and criticized media coverage of the incident, the DPA reported.
