(Paris) The French government's spokesman said on Thursday he was “shocked” by Gérard Depardieu's misogynistic and insulting comments towards women, a position that contrasts with that of President Emmanuel Macron, who has spoken out against him on rape and rape charges Actor accused of sexual harassment praises attack.
Posted at 7:55 am
“These comments shock me and I think of the people who felt insulted, who are victims,” said spokesman Olivier Véran on BFMTV and RMC radio.
“I am shocked by the comments that I have seen and which I consider to be zero,” but “it is up to justice to define things,” he added, referring to the actor's statements, which were published in a report by the The program Complément d'investigation was broadcast on France 2.
President Emmanuel Macron backed Gérard Depardieu at the end of December, saying he was a “huge actor” who “makes France proud” and denounced “a manhunt.”
The head of state also believed that the Legion of Honor, the most prestigious French award, was an order that “is not intended to preach morality,” while his culture minister, Rima Abdul Malak, had announced a few days earlier that a “disciplinary procedure” had been initiated will ” would be initiated by the Grand Chancellery of the Legion of Honor. The minister judged Gérard Depardieu's comments to be “shameful for France”.
In a letter dated December 22, published by the newspaper Le Parisien and seen by AFP, the major law firm confirmed to the actor's lawyer that this disciplinary procedure had been opened.
Olivier Véran also noted: “When the courts are called upon, it is up to them to decide, not you and not me. We are not a people's court.”
PHOTO LUDOVIC MARIN, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVE
Olivier Veran
Gérard Depardieu, now 75, has been accused of rape since 2020 after a complaint was made by a French actress, Charlotte Arnould, whose allegations he denies.
At the same time as the report was broadcast, the actress Hélène Darras filed a second complaint of sexual assault based on a priori prescribed facts, which dates back to a shooting in 2007. The actor also denies these allegations.
The Depardieu affair has provoked countless reactions.
A column calling for “not to erase” the icon of French cinema appeared on Christmas Day in the newspaper Le Figaro, at the initiative of an actor who was described in an investigation by the daily Le Monde as “close to the sphere of identity and reactionaries”. In return, several “counter tribunes” were created, including one signed by around 8,000 artists.
Several signatories of the first forum have now distanced themselves, including the actresses Carole Bouquet (the actor's former partner) and Nadine Trintignant as well as the actor Gérard Darmon.
In the images of the report, Gérard Depardieu, known for his role as Cyrano de Bergerac or Danton, multiplies misogynistic and offensive remarks while addressing women and does not spare a little girl with comments of a sexual nature.
The France Télévisions group assured that this final passage had been “certified” by a bailiff after the head of state suggested that the sequence could have been changed during editing, as the family had previously claimed to the actor.
Since the scandal, Gérard Depardieu has been removed from the National Order of Quebec and his title as an honorary citizen of the municipality of Estaimpuis (Belgium), while his wax statue has been removed from the tour route of the famous Grévin Museum in Paris.