Two women have accused French actor Gérard Depardieu of sexual assault in 2021 and 2014.
French police have taken actor Gérard Depardieu for questioning about new accusations of sexual assault, as reported by French media on Monday.
Several news sources, like Agence France-Presse (AFP) and BFM-TV, say that the 75-year-old actor (known for Cyrano de Bergerac and Green Card) has been accused by two different women of sexual assault. These incidents reportedly happened in 2021 while filming a French movie called Les Violets Verts (The Green Shutters) and in 2014 while making a TV movie titled Le Magicien et les Siamois (The Magician and the Siamese).
Depardieu is also facing another case involving rape allegations from 2018 made by actress Charlotte Arnould, which is still ongoing in French courts. One earlier complaint from French actress Hélène Darras, who said an incident occurred on a film set 2007 was dismissed in January due to the statute of limitations.
Last April, a detailed report by French investigative news website Médiapart included accusations from 13 women of inappropriate behavior by Depardieu. He is also facing a complaint from Spain where journalist Ruth Baza accused him of raping her in 1995.
Depardieu has denied all these accusations, even writing an open letter in a French newspaper last October, calling the situation a “lynching” by the media.
Despite these allegations, Depardieu still has supporters. French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed admiration for the actor, even after a documentary critical of Depardieu aired in December sparked outrage.
The Hollywood Reporter is seeking confirmation of Depardieu’s arrest from Paris police and has contacted the actor’s lawyer for comment.