Tel-Chai Nation

Veteran actor Depardieu is going to trial on accusations of sexual assault, and it's said that as many as 20 women have accused him of attacking them:

The “titan” of French cinema is about to stand trial. Film star Gérard Depardieu will appear before the Paris Criminal Court on March 24 and 25 on charges of sexually assaulting two women during the filming of Jean Becker’s film “The Green Shutters” in 2021.

Behind the 'Green Shutters'

In 2021, French director Jean Becker offered the 76-year-old Gérard Depardieu a role that he seemed born to play: an acclaimed actor at the height of his fame, but worn down by age and years of lavish living. It was a film that straddled the line between real life and fantasy – and its production soon turned into a nightmare.

On February 23, 2024, 54-year-old set dresser Amélie lodged a complaint against the actor for “sexual assault”, “sexual harassment” and “sexist insults”.

Speaking to left-wing investigative outlet Mediapart, she described how the actor had “brutally grabbed her” in a corridor, held her still by “closing his legs around her like a crab” before “kneading her waist, her belly, right up to her breasts”.

Amélie said that Depardieu’s bodyguards had put a stop to the assault. She alleged that the actor had called out “We’ll see each other again, my darling!” as he walked off.

Only in court at this point. It's very sad it came to this, obviously, because now, we once again have a situation where past movies and TV programs are tarnished by the presence and casting of a man who committed repellent acts. Undoubtably, many people will have difficulty overlooking that for a long time to come. When it comes to live action cinema, it's a lot more difficult to separate art from the artist if he appears on screen. Here's more about the history of the allegations against him:

A 2023 television investigation entitled “The Fall of the Ogre” revealed images shot five years earlier in North Korea, in which Depardieu can be heard making obscene sexual remarks about an underage girl.

Even so, some French people still struggle to find fault with a larger-than-life entertainer whose love of food and wine, coupled with classic Gallic looks, helped make him a national icon.

When then-culture minister Rima Abdul-Malak called the recording of Depardieu in North Korea a “shame for France”, President Emmanuel Macron jumped to his defense.

He remained a “towering actor” who “makes France proud,” Macron said.

Around 60 film and art figures signed a petition to support the “cinema giant” in 2023, entitled “Don’t Cancel Gerard Depardieu.”

Obviously, it's regrettable, but not surprising a politician like Macron would defend him, after acting extremely hostile towards Israel, that's for sure. An utter embarrassment. Here's more to ponder:

He began dipping into Hollywood in the years after, with movies such as “Green Card” and “1492” which won him new audiences.

But his reputation took a blow when Time magazine in 1991 — just before the Oscars ceremony where Depardieu was nominated for Best Actor for Cyrano de Bergerac — printed an interview where he admitted to rapes during childhood.

There was anger in the French government about an alleged conspiracy to deprive him of the Oscar and Depardieu denied having made the remarks, although Time stood by the interview.

So the government, not the public, was making such a fuss. If even half of what Time reported was correct, this is chilling, and quite surprising he'd actually confess to committing abominations.

And here's another report on the issue as it stands now:

France’s most famous male actor will also be confronting a nation long criticised for failing to address sexual violence — particularly when committed by its most powerful figures.

Depardieu, 76, is accused of assaulting a set dresser and an assistant director during the 2021 filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters).

While more than 20 women have publicly accused him of sexual misconduct, this is the first time one of those cases has gone to trial.

The failure to address horrifying issues like sexual assault in France is exactly what enabled Islamofascism to get away with it in many cases. So many defenseless women paid a heavy price that there's no telling if the government and justice system as it stands now will try to repair. As for Depardieu, his career is hopefully over. It's a terrible shame that now, a lot of his films will suffer tainted reputations as a result of his terrible deeds, but at least he's now facing up to his wrongdoings in court. Unfortunately, whether he'll serve a jail sentence is something that may not come to be. And that's the saddest part of this whole scandal.

Labels: France, Korea, misogyny, Moonbattery, sexual violence, showbiz