56 French stars defend actor Gérard Depardieu despite sexual misconduct allegations

(26 Dec 2023)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pyongyang - 7 September 2018
1. Wide of French actor Gérard Depardieu exiting an elevator inside his hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea
2. Medium of Gérard Depardieu speaking with group
3. Wide of Gérard Depardieu sitting down at a cafe inside the hotel
4. Wide of Gérard Depardieu talking with people saying "I don't want journalists"
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Berlin - 19 February 2016
5. Medium Gérard Depardieu arrives at premiere of "Saint Amour"
6. Medium zoom out of Gérard Depardieu with co-star Vincent Lacoste, directors join them
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cannes, France - 22 May 2015
7. Various (L-R) Guillaume Nicloux, Isabelle Huppert, Gérard Depardieu, Dan Warner on red carpet for "Valley of Love"
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cannes, France - 18 May 2014
8. Medium of Gérard Depardieu arriving with President of FIFA, Sepp Blatter and film director Frederic Auburtin
9. Various Gérard Depardieu and Sepp Blatter
10. Various Gérard Depardieu and Sepp Blatter posing at the top of the Palais steps
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Berlin - 1 December 2010
++4:3 MATERIAL++
11. Close-up pan up of Gérard Depardieu and actor Francoise Fabian
12. Medium of Gérard Depardieu, Fabian and Alexandra Maria Lara
13. Medium of Gérard Depardieu giving interviews
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cannes, France - 19 May 2023
14. Medium Carla Bruni poses at Chopard event
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Venice - 2 September 2023
15. Various Carla Bruni arrival at Venice Film Festival
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Cannes, France - 16 May 2023
16. Various 'Jeanne du Barry' arrivals Melvil Poupaud, Pascal Greggory, Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Richard, Johnny Depp, director Maiwenn, Diego Le Fur, and Pauline Pollmann
17. Tilt up Pierre Richard and Johnny Depp
18. Close up Pierre Richard, Johnny Depp and Pascal Greggory at top of steps
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Venice, Italy - 30 August 2023
19. Various of Charlotte Rampling and Liliana Cavani at Venice Film Festival
STORYLINE:
More than 50 French performers, writers and producers published an essay Tuesday defending film star and national icon Gérard Depardieu amid growing scrutiny of his behavior toward women during his five-decade career. Advocates for sexual abuse victims expressed dismay at the outpouring of support.
Depardieu was handed preliminary rape and sexual assault charges in 2020 following allegations from actor Charlotte Arnould, and has been accused by more than a dozen other women of harassing, groping or sexually assaulting them. Depardieu denies wrongdoing, and called the essay ‘’beautiful.’’
Published Tuesday in the conservative-leaning Le Figaro, it was signed by figures including former first lady and singer Carla Bruni, Depardieu’s former partner Carole Bousquet, and actors Pierre Richard, Charlotte Rampling and Victoria Abril. Two dozen of the 56 signatories were women. Many are from Depardieu’s generation; he is 74.
A recent documentary outlined accusations of sexual misconduct by 16 women against Depardieu, and showed the actor making obscene remarks and gestures during a 2018 trip to North Korea. The France-2 documentary prompted calls by some to stop airing Depardieu’s films, which include classics of modern French cinema.
In response, Tuesday’s essay says: ’’We cannot remain silent in the face of the lynching targeting him, the torrent of hate being dumped on his personality.
‘’When Gérard Depardieu is targeted this way, it is the art (of cinema) that is being attacked,’’ it said. ‘’France owes him so much. ... Depriving ourselves of this immense actor would be a drama, a defeat. The death of the art. Our art.’’
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