Gérard Depardieu will be permanently removed from the National Order of Quebec for making obscene comments towards women in a recent France 2 report.
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Prime Minister François Legault announced Wednesday afternoon that he was removing the controversial French actor from the list following the unanimous recommendation of members of the Council of the National Order of Quebec.
This is a first in the history of the order, whose Mr. Depardieu was knighted by Bernard Landry in 2002.
“Gérard Depardieu's scandalous statements in front of the cameras shocked the international public for good reason. His behavior is damaging the reputation of members of the National Order of Quebec. “I have therefore decided to order his removal from the Order with immediate effect,” said Mr. Legault.
- Listen to the meeting between Mathieu Bock-Côté and Richard Martineau where he returns to the topic QUB radio :
“Scandalous Remarks”
The French actor has been in the hot seat since an episode of the French program Complément d'investigation entitled Gérard Depardieu: La chute de l'ogre was broadcast last Thursday.
Scenes from a documentary filmed in North Korea in 2018 but never broadcast show Depardieu making misogynistic, obscene and demeaning comments to women he meets.
“I have a jet in my pants,” exclaims the French actor. “They are big sluts,” he says during a visit to the stables, during which he even goes so far as to sexualize a young girl of about ten who is walking around with a horse.
Since April, the 74-year-old actor has been faced with allegations from thirteen women who allegedly denounced sexual violence committed on film sets between 2004 and 2022. Actress Emmanuelle Debever, one of the first women Depardieu publicly denounced, is believed to have taken her own life by throwing herself into the Seine last Thursday, several French media outlets reported. She was 60 years old.
In a press release, the Prime Minister explains that the “shocking” statements that have been circulating for several days “clearly show behavior that runs counter to the values of the National Order, whose motto is “Honor to the people of Quebec.”
The nine members of the order's council also voted unanimously for his removal, the “final sanction in the event of notorious misconduct or serious misconduct” intended for the order's members. Ultimately it was up to the Prime Minister to uphold the decision and withdraw the award.
The most prestigious recognition
The National Order of Quebec has existed since 1984. It is the most prestigious award given by the State of Quebec. It highlights the extraordinary careers of individuals who make Quebec shine. It sometimes happens that the Prime Minister uses his privilege by appointing an external honorary person. Other examples include Charles Aznavour (2009), Nana Mouskouri (2013) and Patrick Bruel (2014).
In Mr. Depardieu's case, it was “in recognition of his contribution to French-language cinema” that he received this honor.
“A man of contrasts, he is known as much for his passion for wine and good food as for his admiration for Saint Augustine, about whom he has given public readings in several European cities as well as in Montreal,” the order argued, in the form, which accompanies his appointment as a member.
-With the QMI agency
The Fall of a Sacred Monster
More and more monsters, less and less holy. Gérard Depardieu's star has lost almost all of its luster since new revelations about his sexually obsessive behavior came to light in France. Summary of a week that knocked the actor off the pedestal.
- Last Thursday, France 2's Complément d'investigation program revealed previously unpublished images of Depardieu making degrading and crude comments to women, including a 10-year-old girl, during a trip to North Korea. “Big sluts,” “little pussy,” “I have a jet in my underwear,” he says without embarrassment in front of the camera.
- The affair triggered a scandal, especially since Depardieu has been in the focus of the judiciary and the media for several years because of allegations of sexual crimes. “It has been proven that Mr. Depardieu is at least a pig and someone who has problems in his head when he sees women,” explains novelist Tristane Banon. Actresses Sophie Marceau and Anouk Grinberg also denounce it.
- Others still support him, like Nathalie Baye. “I never had a problem with him, absolutely never,” she told France Inter, while emphasizing that she was not trying to defend him. In the past, Catherine Deneuve, Carole Bouquet and Fanny Ardant have also defended Gérard Depardieu despite the denunciations directed against him.
- One of the first women to denounce Depardieu's behavior, actress Emmanuelle Debever, took her own life by throwing herself into the Seine a week ago, on the day the Complément d'investigation report was published.
- Following the Complément d'investigations report, France Télévisions announced that it would no longer purchase films in which Gérard Depardieu is the main actor and would no longer co-produce any project in which Gérard Depardieu is involved. RTBF, for its part, has removed from its program films in which Depardieu is the main actor.
- According to several European media, the actor fled to Belgium.
-With Cédric Bélanger