Gerard Depardieu Accused Of Sexual Misconduct By A Staggering Number Of Women

Gérard Depardieu has been accused of sexually assaulting at least 13 women over nearly two decades.

By Jessica Goudreault | Updated

After several months of investigation, a total of 13 women have come forward to accuse French actor Gérard Depardieu of sexual misconduct, according to Deadline. Médiapart, a French investigative news website, published a full report on the disturbing accusations against the actor. The events took place between 2004 and 2022 during the production of the films Big House and Dumas, as well as during the Netflix crime series Marseille.

Médiapart launched their investigation on Gérard Depardieu after many rumors and social media reports alluded to his mistreatment of women. While some cast and crew were aware of Gérard Depardieu’s inappropriate behavior (like placing his hand between a woman’s legs and on her buttocks and making gross sexual proposals), they simply shrugged it off with a “boys will be boys” attitude.

Perhaps the leading actor’s fame kept him from appearing as a threat. As an actor, Gérard Depardieu has appeared in 245 films, making him the second highest-grossing actor in French Cinema’s history. Despite his wealth and fame, this cannot excuse any sexual misconduct or unlawful behavior towards women or anyone for that matter.

French actress Charlotte Arnould was the first of the 14 women to come forward and accuse Gérard Depardieu of rape in 2018. According to Charlotte, she visited the actor at his Paris mansion to get acting advice, but she alleges he raped and sexually assaulted her twice while at the mansion. There is currently a case against Gérard Depardieu in the French courts.

Some of the 13 other accusers have chosen to remain anonymous, which is fairly common in cases like this. These women, who have been reported as actresses, make-up artists, and crew members, may want to protect their identities and reputations in case of a negative response to the allegations. Either way, it is courageous of these women to come forward, especially when so many others have turned a blind eye to the actor’s reported inappropriate behavior.

Gérard Depardieu is reportedly denying all of the charges, and his lawyers from Cabinet Temime are suggesting that the accusations are subjective and based on moral judgments. While it can be hard to prove whether or not the allegations are true, it is staggering to see that 13 women have come forward to file similar complaints about the same man.

Gérard Depardieu
Gerard Depardieu in Life of Pi

The French actor will join the ranks of other Hollywood stars who have been accused of sexual misconduct, like Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, and Kevin Spacey. While some accused celebrities have gotten off scot-free, others end up serving jail time and having their careers “canceled” amidst the new woke culture.

In addition to Gérard Depardieu’s accusations of sexual misconduct, Ewdy Plenel who is the Editor-in-Chief of Médiapart has filed a complaint against the French actress and filmmaker, Maïwenn Le Besco. Allegedly the actress grabbed Plenel by the hair and spit at her while the two were at a restaurant. This news comes shortly before the release of Maïwenn Le Besco’s film Jeanne du Barry, which stars Johnny Depp, who recently battled his ex-wife, Amber Heard, in court over her allegations of abuse.