FRANCE – NEWS
French website Mediapart has published the testimonies of 13 women who claim to have been harassed and sexually assaulted by famous French actor Gerard Depardieu.
According to the women, Depardieu groped them and made lewd comments. Such behaviour on set went unpunished and was often accompanied by laughter from those around him. The incidents described above have occurred during the filming of films and television programmes over the last 20 years.
Depardieu, 74, is currently under investigation for allegedly raping a young actress in 2018.
“The adult allowed the actor to grab my breasts in full view of everyone,” said the victim, who was 17 at the time of the incident.
Gerard Depardieu’s lawyer said the actor denies all allegations against him.
The investigation was launched by the French prosecutor’s office two years ago and is still ongoing.
According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, there have been no new formal complaints against Depardieu.
As one of the most famous French actors, Gerard Depardieu has starred in more than 180 films and has been nominated for an Oscar. He also won the Best Actor Award at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival.
Love for Russia
In 2013, Depardieu’s actions caused a storm of indignation in France, when he left the country in protest against excessively high taxes for the rich and accepted Russian citizenship.
In February 2013, along with the keys to a five-room flat in the centre of Grozny, Gerard Depardieu received from Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov the title of honorary citizen of the Chechen Republic.
The actor has repeatedly professed his love for Russia. Russian media reported that Depardieu converted to Orthodoxy in the Cathedral of St Alexander Nevsky in Paris in 2020.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Depardieu condemned the Kremlin’s actions, calling it an “insane and unacceptable” move, while stating that the Russian people were not to blame for the behaviour of their president.
Source: err.ee
