Celebrities sign public letter defending Gerard Depardieu after assault claims

27 December 2023 , 10:24

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Celebrities sign public letter defending Gerard Depardieu after assault claims

Female celebrities are facing a backlash after rallying in support of alleged rapist Gerard Depardieu.

A total of 56 top names, including former French First Lady Carla Bruni and actress Charlotte Rampling signed an open letter claiming the actor, who turns 75 today, has been the victim of a lynching. The Cyrano star, accused of sexual violence by 14 women, faces prison if found guilty.

An inquiry has been opened into the death of actress Emmanuelle Debever, 60, earlier this month, who leapt from a bridge after accusing Depardieu of sexual violence. Former supermodel and singer Bruni, 56, wife of ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy and English-born Rampling, 77, joined others from the arts establishment in writing the letter.

Gerard Depardieu supporters including former French President Sarkosy face backlash over defending star's sexual assault allegations

It read: “Gerard Depardieu is probably the greatest of actors. The last sacred monster of cinema. "We can stay silent no more in the face of this lynching, this torrent of hate.” The letter says the attacks are “without nuance” and ignore “the presumption of innocence from which he would have benefited were he not the giant of cinema that he is”.

The backing echoes that of French President Emmanuel Macron who also sparked fury last week by defending Depardieu on a chat show, saying he was the victim of a “manhunt”. Activists campaigning against high levels of violence against women in France called his words appalling.

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Responding to yesterday’s letter [26 Dec] in Paris-based newspaper Le Figaro, city councillor Raphaelle Remy-Leleu accused celebs of “privileging the artist, while disregarding the victims”. The signatories were “denying reality instead of defending victims”.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni have reportedly shown support for Gerard Depardieu over assault allegations

Actress Charlotte Rampling has reportedly shown support for Gerard Depardieu over assault allegations (Wenn)

Actress Charlotte Arnould, 28, has also accused Depardieu of criminal behaviour. There is CCTV footage of him performing a sex act on her at his Paris mansion in August 2018 but he insists it was consensual. The case is currently making its way through the courts.

In October, Depardieu broke his silence over the various claims saying: “I am neither a rapist nor a predator.” In 2018, 100 prominent Frenchwomen, including actress Catherine Deneuve, wrote to Le Monde newspaper saying the “puritanical” #MeToo movement had been imported from Britain and the USA, and “turned into a hatred of men and of sexuality”.

Peter Allen