PHILIPPE BRESSON & GRACE KAHAKI SEND CEASE AND DESIST LETTER TO ACTRESS OVER ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Philippe Bresson and Grace Kahaki, the producers of Insignia Kenya Films, have taken legal action against actress Grace Wacuka following allegations of sexual harassment made by the actress. 

Through their legal representatives, Njeri and Partners Advocates, the filmmakers issued a cease-and-desist letter to Wacuka, citing defamatory statements and unauthorised sharing of private information. The allegations surfaced on January 13, 2025, when Wacuka made claims in a WhatsApp group named Kenya Professional Actors Forum, which consists of over 650 members. 

In her detailed statement, Wacuka accused Bresson of inappropriate behaviour on set and alleged that both producers failed to address her concerns adequately. “One day, me and Gathoni were shooting a scene for Single Kiasi. Then Philippe started telling me that if I don’t get the scene right, he won’t give me more jobs. He wasn’t directing me. He was bullying me. Grace, who I still love, helped me understand what he needed. The first scene where me and Gathoni were roasting in the office.” 

Adding, “Then when Philippe came to me later, he took my hand and put it on his ass and said, ‘Wacuka, hold me like you love me.’ I was stunned. I said, Don’t ever do that again. But he laughed it off. The next day, I was with Chebet, who was doing make-up, and Phillipe came up to us and said, ‘Chebet did Wacuka tell you how she grabbed my ass yesterday. ‘A few weeks later, I begged Phillippe to apologise.“ Wacuka said.

She went on to add that even the company’s intern and the assistant director hit on her, “Then I tried for over a year to sit with them. Other things happen on the set, including the intern hitting on me. I recorded all this and the Assistant director (AD) at the time also hitting on me. So for about a year, I looked for them to tell them what happened.” 

The actress further claimed that after complaining she was told she would be blacklisted, “I called her and tearfully explained what happened to me. Grace said she was sorry. She said it’s good we hear from Philippe as well. I came to the office. Grace looked all right, but Philippe was very angry with me. Grace told me, We need to give Philippe time to come down, and when he is ready, he will talk. They often told me they have a black book. They’ve blacklisted people. They told me openly.”

In response, Bresson and Mwihaki have categorically denied the allegations, describing them as entirely false and defamatory. Their legal counsel stated, “By your statements, you implied and led your audience to believe that our clients are sexual harassers, workplace bullies, and enablers of a hostile work environment, which is untrue. These statements have caused immeasurable reputational damage, loss of business, and emotional distress to our clients.” 

The letter further alleges that Wacuka shared Bresson’s personal phone number within the same WhatsApp group without consent, a move deemed a violation of Kenya’s Data Protection Act 2019 and Article 31 of the Constitution of Kenya.

The filmmakers have demanded that Wacuka: Cease and desist from making any further references to the producers and their projects. Retract the defamatory statements on the Kenya Professional Actors Forum by January 17, 2025. Issue an unqualified public apology through the same platform. Failure to comply with these demands may result in legal proceedings against Wacuka, with the producers seeking damages for defamation and unauthorised data sharing.