Anjelica Huston has recalled the life-changing night Roman Polanski was allegedly caught with an underage lover at the home of her then-boyfriend Jack Nicholson.

The Hollywood director fled the U.S. on the eve of his sentencing in 1978 after pleading guilty to having unlawful sex with a minor. The charged stemmed from allegations he had sex with 13-year-old Samantha Geimer at Nicholson's California home in 1977, and the director has been haunted by the case ever since while living as an exile in France.

Huston has now opened up about that fateful night at Nicholson's mansion, revealing she walked into the house and saw Polanski with the young girl.

In an extract from her new autobiography, Watch Me, she writes, "The house was quiet... I called out: 'Is anyone here?'... A short while later, Roman and a girl came around the corner, he introduced me to her and said they had been taking pictures. She was wearing platform heels and appeared to be quite tall. Roman collected his jacket and cameras, and they left together. I thought no more of it."

Huston was later arrested along with Polanski a day later when cops raided the house and allegedly found drugs in her purse: "Roman and I were bundled into the back of two separate police cars. We were under arrest... Roman's path and mine crossed as we were taken to be booked. He said: 'I'm sorry for this Anjelica.'"

The actress goes on to admit she is glad she did not have to testify against her friend in court because he agreed a plea deal with prosecutors to avoid going to trial.

She adds, "I'd witnessed nothing untoward and had never seen Roman with the girl in the bedroom. Roman later accepted a plea bargain and my testimony was never required."