French actor Gerard Depardieu was detained for questioning in connection with alleged sexual assaults against two women on separate film sets, police sources said. Depardieu, one of France's top movie stars, has been at the centre of a growing number of sexual assault allegations in recent years that have tarnished his legacy and exposed broader divisions about sexual conduct in France.

Paris

French actor Gerard Depardieu has been detained for questioning related to alleged sexual assaults against two women, according to police sources. These allegations occurred on separate film sets, enveloping Depardieu, a noted figure in French cinema, in a wave of sexual assault claims that have surfaced in recent years. Depardieu's prestigious career in both French and international filmmaking has increasingly been overshadowed by these accusations, casting a shadow over his legacy.

The accusations that led to Depardieu's recent detention include an incident on the set of "The Green Shutters" in 2021, where a set designer reported that Depardieu had groped her. Despite enjoying a successful acting career in France and achieving international recognition through various roles in Hollywood, Depardieu's personal life and actions have come under scrutiny. His decision to enter self-imposed tax exile in Belgium and Russia, and more significantly, the mounting accusations of sexual violence against him, have tainted his public image.

In 2020, Depardieu was indicted following accusations by actress Charlotte Arnault, who alleged that the actor raped her when she was 22 years old. Arnault's claims are part of a broader pattern, as she is among more than a dozen women who have accused Depardieu of sexual misconduct. These developments have ignited a debate within French cinema and society regarding the treatment of sexism and sexual abuse, revealing deep fissures in attitudes towards such issues.

The case has also sparked controversy at the highest levels of French government, with President Emmanuel Macron facing criticism for his comments defending Depardieu as innocent until proven guilty, which some have interpreted as dismissive of the allegations and indicative of broader systemic issues in handling claims of sexual misconduct.



French actor Gerard Depardieu accused of sexual assaults

Summoned for questioning, Gérard Depardieu is detained at this police station in Paris. The French actor faces accusations of sexual assault filed by two women. One of them, a set designer, says Depardieu groped her on the set of the film The Green Shutters in 2021. Once one of the most sought-after actors in France, Gérard Depardieu has also enjoyed international fame with several roles in Hollywood. But much of his stardom has been overshadowed by his personal life. His self-imposed tax exile in Belgium in 2012, then in Russia, and the numerous accusations of sexual violence. The 75-year-old was indicted in 2020, after actress Charlotte Arnault accused the actor of raping her when she was 22. And she's just one among more than a dozen women who have come forward with accusations, all of which the actor has previously denied. Depardieu's case has exposed a major split in French cinema, which has in recent years been rocked by allegations that it has shrugged off sexism and sexual abuse for decades. President Emmanuel Macron sparked an outcry in December when he defended Depardieu as innocent until proven guilty, and insinuated he was the victim of a manhunt.

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