World-famous French actor Gerard Depardieu has received an outpouring of support from 56 of his fellow countrymen as he faces multiple allegations of rape.
The open letter published in Le Figaro, a conservative-leaning daily French newspaper, includes signatures from French figures like Carl Bruni, Charlotte Rampling, and Carole Bousquet – Depardieu’s former romantic partner. As many as two dozen women signed the letter, most of whom were of the actor’s generation.
“Gérard Depardieu is probably the greatest actor,” the letter stated. “We can no longer remain silent in the face of the lynching that fell upon him, in the face of the torrent of hatred that pours down on his person, without nuance, in the most complete amalgamation and in defiance of a presumption of innocence of which he would have benefited, like everyone else, if he were not the giant of cinema that he is.”
Last week, none other than French President Emmanuel Macron came to Depardieu’s aid, referring to the allegations as a “witch hunt.” He also rejected calls to strip the actor of his Legion of Honour medal.
“I am a great admirer of Gérard Depardieu,” Macron said on the French talk show C à Vous. “As president of the republic and as a citizen, I say he makes France proud.”
As noted by TheWrap, the acclaimed actor has been facing “several accusations of sexually inappropriate behavior.”
“In 2018, Charlotte Arnould filed a lawsuit against the iconic French actor, claiming that Depardieu sexually assaulted her twice in his home during rehearsals. Two years later, French authorities charged Depardieu with rape due to the incident,” it reported.
“Despite Depardieu’s requests for the case to be dropped, the Paris Court of Appeal refused to drop the charges in March 2023 and launched a formal investigation against the actor. Moving forward, the case will either be brought to trial or dismissed,” it added.
Earlier this year, as many as 13 women accused him of sexual misconduct while shooting 11 movies between 2004 and 2022.
The actor has routinely maintained his innocence, saying in an open letter that he was “neither a rapist, nor a predator.”
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