Dozens of French actors denounce 'lynching' of Depardieu

PARIS

Nearly 60 French actors and other prominent figures have denounced the "lynching" of disgraced film legend Gerard Depardieu, who is charged with rape and is facing a litany of other sexual assault claims.

An open letter signed by British actress Charlotte Rampling, former French first lady and singer Carla Bruni, and Depardieu's former partner, actress Carole Bouquet, claims the star is the victim of a "torrent of hatred".

"Gerard Depardieu is probably the greatest of all actors," added the letter published in French newspaper Le Figaro late on Dec. 25, Christmas Day.

Depardieu, who has made more than 200 films and television series, was charged with rape in 2020 and has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by more than a dozen women.

Despite no court ruling against him, many have rushed to distance themselves from the actor in recent days.

His supporters said: "We can no longer remain silent in the face of the lynching he is facing."

The letter said Depardieu was being attacked "in defiance of a presumption of innocence from which he would have benefited, like everyone else, if he weren't the cinema giant he is."

Depardieu called the signatories "courageous" and praised the letter. "I thought it was beautiful," he told broadcaster RTL by phone.

Depardieu admitted he had been shown the letter before its publication but insisted he had not asked for it. He also said that a number of figures refused to sign it.

"When people attack Gerard Depardieu in this way, they are attacking art," the letter said. "France owes him so much. Cinema and theatre cannot do without his unique and extraordinary personality," the celebrities said. "Nobody can erase the indelible imprint of his work on our times."

The letter, titled "Don't erase Gerard Depardieu," sparked a new wave of indignation.

"Is rape part of the 'work' when it's produced by an artist?" Sandrine Rousseau, a French lawmaker and feminist, said on X.

Laurent Boyet, founder of Les Papillons (Butterflies), a group that fights violence against children, said the letter was "indecent" and added that the organization was dropping one of the signatories, actor Pierre Richard, as its ambassador.

"We are and always will be on the side of the victims," Boyet said.