An open letter written by dozens of actresses and other artists defending Gerard Depardieu, the movie giant accused of sexual harassment, has exposed divisions in France over the #Metoo movement's reckoning with sexism.
Actresses Nathalie Baye and Carole Bouquet – a former partner of Depardieu – as well as singer and former first lady Carla Bruni were among more than 50 cultural figures who called Depardieu the victim of a public “lynching”.
Titled “Don’t cancel Gerard Depardieu”, the letter published this week in the conservative newspaper Le Figaro claims that Depardieu has become the recipient of a “torrent of hate”.
“We can no longer remain silent in the face of the lynching that befell him,” the authors of the letter wrote.
“Gerard Depardieu is probably the greatest of all actors. When you attack Gerard Depardieu like that, it is art that you are attacking.”
Depardieu, 75 and star of dozens of French-language films, rising to prominence in 1974 with “Crazy Hearts,” has been the center of a growing number of sexual abuse allegations in recent years.
In March 2022, Depardieu was placed under formal investigation in a case of suspected rape and sexual assault. Actress Charlotte Arnould, 28, later revealed that she was behind these allegations, saying that she could no longer remain silent. Since then, more than 10 women have accused Depardieu of sexual violence.
Depardieu has always denied any wrongdoing and, through his lawyers, has “firmly rejected” the allegations against him.
“I have never, absolutely never, abused a woman,” he wrote in an October 2 letter also published in Le Figaro. He was not convicted of any of the charges against him.
French President Emmanuel Macron came to Depardieu's defense just before Christmas when asked in an interview about his culture minister's plans to review Depardieu's “Legion d'Honneur” medal – France's highest decoration.
Macron condemned the “manhunt” against Depardieu, without expressing sympathy for his alleged victims. “He is an immense actor, a genius at his art,” Macron said. “He makes France proud.”
The president's comments and Monday's letter have caused consternation among feminists and younger actresses, who condemn the attempt to stifle the voices of victims of sexual violence and undermine the #Metoo movement against sexual harassment in France.
“There is a generation that still doesn’t understand this social evolution,” said Murielle Reus, vice-president of #MeTooMedia, which campaigns against sexism and sexual misconduct in the media, in a radio interview this week.
Critics of the #Metoo campaign in France accuse it of a puritanical struggle fueled by a contempt for men and the art of seduction.
Catherine Deneuve, one of France's best-known actresses, was among 100 French women who, in 2018, wrote a newspaper column accusing the #Metoo campaign of going too far.
“We defend the right to harass, which is vital to sexual freedom,” they said.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
