As the controversy surrounding renowned French actor Gérard Depardieu continues, the fall-out is drawing in an ever-wider number of supporters and critics of the cinema star, who has been accused of various counts of rape and sexual abuse.
Spanish journalist and author Ruth Baza has accused Depardieu of rape, relating to events from 1995 in Paris. Baza revealed to AFP that she had filed a complaint with Spanish police for rape, allegedly committed during an interview on 12 October 1995 for Cinemanía magazine.
At the time of the alleged incident, Baza was 23 and Depardieu was 46. She described it as “an intrusion without any consent”, adding that she felt “paralysed” during the episode, which reportedly occurred at the premises of former production company, Roissy Films.
It is the third sex crime accusation targeting Depardieu since 2018.
#MeToo hits French cinema
The string of allegations against Depardieu has seen him likened to Harvey Weinstein – the American former film producer now serving a prison sentence as a convicted sex offender.
Accusations of sexual misdemeanours committed by Depardieu have come tumbling in over recent years, with news site Mediapart documenting accusations of sexual violence against the actor by 13 women. The investigative article, published in April 2023, led Baza to bring her experience to light.
She told AFP that she had “completely” forgotten the incidents until she read the Mediapart piece, which sparked “an internal switch” and led to “flashes” of memory corroborated by personal notes she found from the period. Legally, the allegation is unlikely to succeed due to France’s statute of limitations. But Baza said she hoped that her complaint “might help other people” come forward.
Depardieu, who faces formal investigation since 2020 for another rape accusation by actress Charlotte Arnould, has denied these latest charges.
Depardieu during the first day of the Condroz Rally, the last stage of the Belgian Rally Championship, Friday 01 November 2013 in Huy. BELGA PHOTO LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ
The scandal surrounding Depardieu flared up at the start of December with the release of a documentary on France 2, which depicted the French actor making multiple misogynistic and lewd remarks towards women whilst on a trip to North Korea in 2018. His obscene vulgarity was even directed at a young girl when visiting an equestrian show.
Depardieu's language towards the girl was so coarse that some questioned whether it could be genuine, a doubt echoed by President Emmanuel Macron. However, France Télévisions public broadcaster confirmed on Friday that it is "no ambiguity" about its veracity after an investigation undertaken with "the highest respect for ethical standards".
Victim of a 'manhunt'
Whilst Depardieu's reputation has taken a pounding in recent months, a number of prominent acquaintances and former colleagues have rallied to his cause, saying that he is victim of a public "lynching" that seeks to destroy him.
His former partner, French actress Carole Bouquet, has expressed sincere concern about the growing media storm that has engulfed Depardieu. In his defence she stated: “I have a serious problem with what is happening with Gérard right now… I am afraid for him.”
She denounced the "relentless media tribunal" and insisted that although his jokes can be in bad taste, "he is incapable of hurting a woman" – pointing to "ten years of sexual relationship" as justification for her words.
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Macron himself has taken a public stance in favour of Depardieu, saying that the actor "makes France proud". On Monday, a public letter signed by more than 50 actors, directors, singers and writers was published in French newspaper Le Figaro. The signatories plead for the presumption of innocence and urge against a boycott of Depardieu's work.
In high praise of the actor's lifetime achievements, the authors argue that "When Gérard Depardieu is attacked in this way, it is art that is being attacked. Gérard Depardieu is probably the greatest of all actors." Seeking to highlight the star's accomplishments, they fear that "to deprive oneself of this immense actor would be a tragedy, a defeat. The death of art. Our own."
Yet whether Depardieu's immense career will withstand lasting reputational damage remains uncertain.
