'Valerian' director Luc Besson has always valued the importance of strong, well-written female characters in his past films, such as 'La Femme Nikita,' 'Léon: The Professional,' 'The Fifth Element,' and 'Lucy.' | IMDb

Luc Besson, the visionary director behind The Fifth Element and Léon: The Professional, has long faced scrutiny not just for his cinematic choices—but for his personal life as well. Besson met his second wife, French actress Maïwenn, when she was just 12 years old and he was 29. Their relationship turned romantic when she was 15, and by 16, Maïwenn was pregnant with their first child. The couple married shortly after. Years later, Maïwenn would claim that Léon, the film about an emotional bond b