Depardieu Opens Up about the Emotional Impact of Rape and Sexual Assault Allegations

Gerard Depardieu is currently facing serious allegations of rape and sexual assault that date back several years. Despite remaining mostly silent about these accusations, the 74-year-old French actor has now written an open letter to address them and declare that he wants to share his truth, reports the Guardian. In the letter published in Le Figaro, a prominent French daily newspaper, Depardieu writes, “I used to think I didn’t care, but that’s not true. This really affects me. Even worse, it devastates me.” He firmly denies ever abusing a woman and compares hurting a woman to hurting his own mother.

According to Deadline, Depardieu was accused of rape in 2018 by fellow French actor Charlotte Arnould when she was 22 and he was 70. In April, investigative outlet Mediapart published a report in which 13 more women came forward with allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior by Depardieu. Over the summer, radio station France Inter added two more accusations. In his letter, Depardieu appears to address Arnould’s allegations by stating, “A woman came to my house of her own free will, not once but twice.” He vehemently denies any coercion, violence, or protest between them.

Depardieu also addresses claims of inappropriate behavior on movie sets, admitting that he has pushed boundaries and challenged norms to illicit laughter. He acknowledges that not everyone found it amusing and asks for forgiveness for his childish behavior. In response to the open letter, Arnould’s attorney, Carine Durrieu Diebolt, expressed shock and outrage, stating to the France Info radio station that she was “shocked and scandalized” by Depardieu’s letter. Durrieu Diebolt also mentioned that Depardieu had a long-standing friendship with one of Arnould’s parents and even held her on his knee when she was a baby, establishing a paternal bond of trust, as reported by the Guardian. (Read more Gerard Depardieu stories.)