More than 50 French artists, writers and producers published a statement on Tuesday defending film star and national icon Gérard Depardieu amid increasing scrutiny of his behavior towards women during his five-decade career.
On the other hand, advocates for victims of sexual assault expressed their dissatisfaction with the outpouring of support for the famous star.
Depardieu was initially charged with rape and sexual assault in 2020 after allegations from actress Charlotte Arnold, and more than a dozen other women have accused him of harassing, groping or sexually assaulting them. Depardieu denies any wrongdoing.
The letter was published on Tuesday in the conservative-leaning newspaper Le Figaro, and was signed by figures including former First Lady and singer Carla Bruni, Depardieu’s former partner Carole Bousquet, and actors Pierre Richard and Charlotte Rampling.
24 of the 56 signatories were women. Many of them are of the generation of Depardieu, who is 74.
A recent documentary highlighted accusations of sexual misconduct made against Depardieu by 16 women, and showed the actor making obscene remarks and gestures during a 2018 trip to North Korea. The France 2 documentary sparked calls from some to stop broadcasting Depardieu’s films, which include classics of modern French cinema.
In response, Tuesday’s article says: “We cannot remain silent in the face of the extrajudicial execution that targets him, and the torrent of hatred that engulfs his character.”
He said: “When Gérard Depardieu is targeted in this way, it is the art (of cinema) that is under attack. France owes him a great debt. … To deprive ourselves of this tremendous actor would be a drama and a defeat, the death of the art, our art.”
Paris MP and feminist activist Raphaëlle Remy Leliot said that the signatories suffer from a “denial of reality.” She said she would have preferred that they support initiatives against sexual violence instead.
