- Gerard Depardieu is a French film actor
- He became known to most audiences in the 1990s
- THIS is his response to his latest allegations
According to sources, Gerard Depardieu has denied rape and sexual assault allegations made against him, in an open letter published in a prominent French newspaper. "Never, ever have I abused a woman," the French actor wrote in the letter that appeared in 'Le Figaro'. "To the media court, to the lynching that has been reserved for me, I have only my word to defend myself," the 74-year-old added.
It all goes back to the allegations. A woman accused the actor of raping and assaulting her in Paris in August 2018. But Gerard's lawyer told French news agency 'AFP' at the time that his client "totally disputed" the allegation, and said the investigation should not have been made public.
The truth is bound to come out sooner than later
The stench of these accusations has followed the actor for some months now, in fact. Earlier this year, he was also accused of sexual assault or harassment by 13 women, according to an investigation by French news website 'Mediapart'. For many, where there is smoke there is fire, and a lawyer for the actor said he "formally denies all the charges which may fall under criminal law".
This open letter would be the first time the actor has personally commented on things after a series of allegations. In December 2020, he was also placed under formal investigation for alleged rape and sexual assault after an actor accused him of having attacked her on two occasions at his home in Paris in 2018, when she was 22 and he was 70.
Once again, his lawyer said he denied the allegations. After an attempt to get the case dropped, the Paris chief prosecutor said there was "serious and confirmed evidence" that justified maintaining the charges. The investigation continues.
It's a case of "he said, she said"
In the letter, entitled 'I finally want to tell you my truth', he wrote: "A woman came to my house for the first time, walking lightly, going up to my room of her own free will. "She says today that she was raped there. She came back a second time. There has never been any coercion, violence or protest between us."
The woman who said she was raped, Charlotte Arnould, has waived her anonymity and had told French media she had been in "living hell" since the alleged rape. She also said Depardieu's alleged inappropriate behavior on set was well known in the industry. For her and many other actresses, the actor is a threat to their safety.
Her lawyer, Carine Durrieu Diebolt, responded on 'TV Info', saying she contested Depardieu’s version of events. She said the way he had written about the woman suggested she was an anonymous stranger, but in fact she had gone to Depardieu’s home because she knew him. She was the daughter of a longtime friend of Depardieu and the actor had "held her on his knee when she was a baby, so there was a paternal link of trust to him. He invited her [to his home] to find out how she was and, in those circumstances, one does not expect, after 10 minutes, to be subjected to sexual acts."
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In his letter, the actor said he had often "pushed limits" on set "to get a laugh" but that it was never his intention to hurt anyone. The Paris prosecutor is still investigating the rape claim and Depardieu is not in custody. Depardieu wrote: "I've often done that which others wouldn't dare to do: pushed limits, shaken certitudes, habits on the set between two takes, between two tensions… to get a laugh."
"Not everyone laughed. If, in believing to live the present intensely, I hurt, shocked someone, whoever it was, it was never my intention to hurt, and I beg you to excuse me for behaving like a child who wanted to have fun in a gallery," he explained.
Gerard's Hollywood career had long been on the rocks, and it's unlikely that he'll ever come back after this, even if the allegations are proven to be false. Depardieu is among France's most famous stars, known for films such as 'Cyrano de Bergerac' and Hollywood hits like 'Green Card' and the classic drama 'The Man In The Iron Mask' where he gained the most prominence with American audiences.
Let's wait and see where this story goes...
