Credits: Vincent Roche from Paris, France / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 2.0.
Gérard Depardieu blacklisted by French cinema? The famous actor, accused of rape and sexual assault, lives in seclusion in Lisbon. After allegations made by around fifteen women, he insisted on his innocence in an open letter. Under formal investigation since December 2020, these accusations have deeply affected him.
Reserved and diminished, he sometimes returns to Paris to see his daughter Julie, far from the spotlight and controversy. Although these allegations date back several years, he no longer receives role offers in France.
These statements from alleged victims, including actresses, makeup artists, and technicians, describe inappropriate behavior on set. Often, these incidents are downplayed by evasive professional reactions, typically in the form of: "Oh, come on, it’s Gérard."
The actor who made his mark on cinema with more than 200 films is now shunned by his peers. No actress agrees to play opposite him anymore. As for his latest film appearances, they were largely ignored by critics and the public. Even after being dropped from an animated film project, his presence in the art world seems increasingly ghostlike.
Living in Lisbon, he faces mobility difficulties, but remains close to his family, especially his daughter Julie. She, while caring for him, does not justify the acts he is accused of.
The actor, a two-time César Award winner, now finds himself isolated and cut off from the industry that made him. A once-iconic figure, now dethroned and in the background, both in his professional and personal life.
In the end, it will be up to the courts to decide whether these accusations are well founded.