Gerard Depardieu has been accused of sexually inappropriate conduct by 13 women who have joined an alleged rape victim in pressing charges against the acclaimed French actor.
- The French movie star, 74, has been accused of assaulting actresses and crew
- He is said to have touched inappropriately and proposed to 13 women
- This came in the wake of accusations of rape by French actress Charlotte Arnold Depardieu
Thirteen women have joined an alleged rape victim in accusing movie star Gerard Depardieu of sexually inappropriate behaviour, according to France’s leading investigative news site.
Mediapart published a file on Wednesday showing how the 74-year-old has regularly preyed on his victims during recent productions including Marseille, the Netflix crime drama.
Depardieu — who made his name on hits like Green Card and The Last Metro — adamantly rejects the allegations, with a legal spokesperson saying: “He formally denies all charges that could potentially fall under criminal law.”
The film follows French actress Charlotte Arnold, 33, who accuses Depardieu of raping her at his Paris mansion.
Ms. Arnold gave up her legal right to anonymity at the end of 2021, in protest of the length of the investigation, after Depardieu was accused of rape and sexual assault.
Thirteen women have accused French actor Gerard Depardieu (pictured) of sexually inappropriate behaviour
The new allegations come after French actress Charlotte Arnold (pictured) announced her accusation that Depardieu, 74, raped her at his Paris mansion.
Within a few days of being charged, Depardieu was back to work on the set of the Paris police drama Maigret And The Dead Girl, in which he starred with Jade Labeste.
There is CCTV footage of Depardieu performing a sexual act on Arnould in August 2018, but the actor said their relationship was consensual.
“Alongside the complaint filed by Charlotte Arnold, we collected 13 accounts from women who said they had been subjected to sexually inappropriate gestures or propositions by the famous actor, with varying levels of attractiveness,” reads the new Mediapart report.
The report continues: “Across the various accounts, the same scene seemed to repeat itself. They are actresses, make-up artists, and crew.
“They testify that they have been subjected to a hand on their buttocks, or between their legs, or on their thighs or their stomachs – as well as obscene sexual displays, and sometimes insistent groans.”
None of the 13 new reports – some of which were submitted anonymously – constitute formal criminal complaints at this time.
She claimed that the events were often brushed off with laughter, and the words: “Oh, well, it’s just Gerard!”
Mediapart notes that many victims fear that a complaint will lead to such a backlash that they might see them never work again.
Charlotte Arnold’s case is currently making its way through French courts, but none of the 13 other reports of sexual misconduct have yet to be an official criminal complaint.
French outlet Médiapart published a dossier on Wednesday describing how Depardieu exploited victims during recent productions including Netflix crime drama Marseille.
Mediapart notes: “The asymmetry between, on the one hand, often unsettled young women, starting their careers, and on the other hand, a world-famous actor, whose presence sometimes makes it possible to fund the film.”
Charlotte Arnold’s case is currently making its way to French courts after Depardieu’s lawyer’s attempt to have the charges dismissed was nullified.
The charges against Dépardieu follow a series of #MeToo complaints against powerful men at the Paris arts establishment who are said to have raped or otherwise abused young women working as models and actresses.
Scandals like this have led to demonstrations by women’s groups at high-profile business events, where they demand that actresses stop working with allegedly abusive men.
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