French actor Gerard Depardieu speaks out after the public learned that he was charged with rape and sexual assault in a 2018 case that was revived by authorities in December.
Depardieu, 72, was handed the preliminary charge on December 16, but was not detained at the time. The prosecutor’s office handled the charges Tuesday after the update on the case was leaked to French media.
The actor’s lawyer, Hervé Temime, made a statement to Fox News addressing the allegations in which he maintained his client’s innocence in the case.
“Mr Depardieu was charged in December 2020, information that has since been kept secret, in accordance with French law,” the statement read. “This information became public yesterday, which is unfortunate. An investigating judge is in charge of this file.”
FRENCH ACTOR GERARD DEPARDIEU CHARGED WITH POWER RAPE AND SEXUAL ATTACK FROM 2018 CASE
Temime added, “Mr. Depardieu is and will remain innocent. He vigorously disputes the charges against him. The investigation must be pursued in calm, secrecy and respect for Mr. Depardieu’s presumption of innocence.”
French actor Gerard Depardieu spoke out after it became known to the public that he was charged with rape and sexual assault.
(AP)
According to French media reports, the allegations relate to allegations of an actress in her 20s dating back to 2018. An initial investigation against the star was dropped in 2019 for lack of evidence, but was later revived.
FRENCH ACTOR GERARD DEPARDIEU ACCUSED OF RAPE
French newspaper Le Parisien and broadcaster BFM TV said the woman claimed Depardieu attacked her at his home in Paris on August 7 and 13, 2018. The two met when Depardieu was conducting a masterclass at her school, BFM TV reported.
The actress, who has not been named, first filed a complaint in August 2018, detailing allegations of rape and sexual assault in the southern French city of Aix-en-Provence. The probe was acquired by Paris researchers, but was soon dropped.
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Depardieu is one of France’s most prolific actors and one of the few who has ventured outside of French cinema and made a name for himself in Hollywood. He won a Golden Globe for his performance in “Green Card,” a 1990 English-language romantic comedy starring Andie MacDowell.
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Before crossing the Atlantic to star in “Green Card”, Depardieu played a series of roles ranging from Jean Valjean, the thief who became a saint in “Les Miserables”, to Christopher Columbus. He has appeared in about 200 films over six decades.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.