President Emmanuel Macron reiterated on Wednesday that the Legion of Honor is an order “not meant to preach morality” while denouncing “a manhunt” against actor Gérard Depardieu after a shocking documentary about him French cinema star had been broadcast.
There's one thing you'll never see me doing: manhunts. “I hate this,” said the head of state on the France 5 television channel.
The Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak announced on Friday on the same channel that the Grand Chancellery of the Legion of Honor would initiate disciplinary proceedings against the actor, against whom two complaints of rape and sexual assault were pending in France and who was accused in one case of the two cases. The actor denies these allegations.
The President of the Republic said he was a great admirer of Gérard Depardieu […], a great actor. He made France, our great authors, our great characters known throughout the world. […]; He is making France proud, Emmanuel Macron continued, contradicting the Minister of Culture.
On the same show, C à vous, Rima Abdul Malak estimated on Friday that the actor's comments reported in the Complément d'investigation report shame France.
In these images, broadcast on France 2 at the beginning of December, the French cinema giant – known for the role of Inspector Maigret as Cyrano – multiplies the misogynistic and offensive remarks by addressing women and not sparing a single little girl with his obscene remarks .
Emmanuel Macron ruled on Wednesday that Rima Abdul Malak had spoken out and talked about a procedure that could revoke the actor's award.
There are sometimes outbursts over comments made. “I am aware of the context,” he insisted. The Legion of Honor is an order of which I am Grand Master and is not there to preach morality.
We don't take away the Legion of Honor from an artist because of a report or this or that thing, because at that price we would have taken away the Legion of Honor from many artists.
“You can accuse someone, there can be victims, but there is also a presumption of innocence,” he added, fearful of otherwise entering the era of suspicion.
Olivier Faure, the head of the Socialist Party, criticized these comments on social networks. Violence against women, a major reason for the five-year term… This president believes in nothing he proclaims, no matter the issue.
Emmanuel Macron's words about Depardieu are once again an insult to the movement for freedom of expression for victims of sexual violence, environmentalist Sandrine Rousseau also denounced on social networks.