Leading French actor Richard Berry has denied allegations of incest.

The 70-year old actor’s daughter, Coline, 45, alleged she was “raped” and “sexually assaulted” aged 15 and forced to take part in “sexual games”, according to French media.

A prosecutor in Paris confirmed to the JC that a “preliminary investigation” was opened last month after Ms Berry filed a complaint. 

Her father, whose career has spanned nearly 50 years, vehemently denies the allegations.

In an Instagram story pinned to his account, Mr Berry said he was facing “one of the most painful situations a man and father could face.”

“I deny these foul accusations unambiguously and with all my strength. I have never had inappropriate or incestuous relations with Coline, nor with any of my children,” he wrote.

France has been forced to grapple with a reckoning on incest after a political scientist Olivier Duhamel was accused of sexually abusing his stepson in the 1980s.

The allegations, contained in a book written by the alleged victim’s twin sister, sparked a wave of testimonies on social media and the hashtag #metooinceste.