Banon initially worked as a journalist, anchorwoman on a television show about new information and communication technologies, and as a sport journalist. She was employed in the politics department, and later the cultural department, of the French weekly
Paris-Match, then worked at the daily newspaper
Le Figaro. Strauss-Kahn's name was initially bleeped out when the television program was broadcast. The news website
AgoraVox later repeated the allegations with his name included and Banon subsequently repeated them on a video recording. Banon's mother, Socialist Party politician Anne Mansouret, said in an interview that she had persuaded her daughter not to file charges at the time of the alleged rape attempt. On 16 May 2011, it was reported Banon planned to file a legal complaint against Strauss-Kahn. On 4 July, following Strauss-Kahn's release from house-arrest on his own recognizance in the New York case, David Koubbi said that Banon would file a complaint against Strauss-Kahn the following day. Strauss-Kahn's lawyers responded by saying they would in turn file a complaint of false accusation (
dénonciation calomnieuse) against Banon. The allegations were referred to, but without naming Banon explicitly, in Christophe Dubois' and Christophe Deloire's best-selling 2006 book
Sexus Politicus about the private lives and sexual mores of leading French political figures. They were also the subject of the concluding chapter of Michel Taubmann's authorised biography
Le Roman vrai de Dominique Strauss-Kahn ("The True Story of Dominique Strauss-Kahn"). Banon contested the version of events described in the biography when it appeared in May 2011. In July 2011, the Paris prosecutor's office opened a preliminary investigation into Banon's complaint. Strauss-Kahn's lawyers said he had instructed them to open a countercomplaint against Banon for slander. In September Banon stated that if there is no criminal prosecution, she would bring a civil case against Strauss-Kahn. According to a report in ''
L'Express'', Strauss-Kahn admits to attempting to kiss Banon. On 29 September, Banon confronted Strauss-Kahn at a Paris police station at the request of French prosecutors investigating the alleged assault. In October the French public prosecutors dropped the investigation. They stated that there was a lack of evidence regarding the allegation of attempted rape. Although there was evidence of the less serious charge of "sexual assault", that charge could not be prosecuted because of the statute of limitations. According to transcripts of the police interrogation released by Strauss-Kahn's lawyers, Strauss-Kahn stated that, as Banon was leaving the apartment, he attempted to embrace her and to kiss her on the mouth; she pushed him away forcefully, saying something like "What are you doing?" and left. In 2020, Banon was featured in the
Netflix documentary series
Room 2806: The Accusation, which details the New York allegation and other cases of alleged sexual assault by Strauss-Kahn, based on interviews with persons involved. == Works ==