The one year anniversary of the #MeToo movement approaches, but shows no signs of slowing down. After getting exposed for sexual misconduct, sexual harassment or sexual assault, many powerful figures in Hollywood have fallen, from Harvey Weinstein to Kevin Spacey to Charlie Rose.
Today the list of industry heavyweights facing allegations just grew one name longer. 69-year-old French actor Gérard Depardieu has been accused of rape and sexual assault by a 22-year-old French actress, according to a report by the BBC. With approximately 170 films to his name, Depardieu is one of the most prolific actors in history.
Most notably, the icon starred in the 1990 film Cyrano de Bergerac, for which he won a Cannes award, Cesar award and Academy Award nomination. In the movie, Depardieu plays a poet-soldier who's in love with his beautiful cousin, but too tongue-tied to approach her, so he helps a handsome, tongue-tied new recruit seduce her. So that might be weird to watch now.
The unnamed young actress reportedly filed a criminal complaint with police in Lambesc, southern France. She told police she was raped by Depardieu on two separate occasions, in Depardieu's Paris home, on August 7th and August 13th of this year, according to Holland-based news agency BNO News. The woman is described as an actor, actress and dancer, known to Depardieu, who was giving her professional advice. The case has been passed on to prosecutors in Paris, and an investigation has been launched.
Depardieu denies the allegations "absolutely", according to his lawyer, Hervé Temime. "I had a long meeting with Gérard Depardieu and I am absolutely convinced his innocence will be established," Temime told France Info radio. He is convinced that when the investigation concludes, his client will be exonerated of all blame.
Aside from Cyrano de Bergerac, Depardieu starred in François Truffaut's historical drama The Last Metro (1980), Peter Weir's comedy Green Card (1990), Kenneth Branagh's Shakespeare tragedy Hamlet (1996), and Ang Lee's survival drama Life of Pi (2012) In 2014, Depardieu starred Abel Ferrara's drama Welcome to New York, playing a powerful powerful French politician who is arrested after being accused of raping a maid at his hotel. So that might be weird to watch now.
Time will tell how the investigation concludes, and what the fallout, if any, will be. Recently six women accused CBS chairman and CEO Les Moonves of sexual misconduct, and claim that after they rebuffed him, he retaliated against them professionally. However, Moonves remains on the CBS board, while under investigation. Since the allegations went public, CBS' stock fell 6%, and shareholders have sued the network.
Some alleged abusers have returned to work, or at least dipped their toes in the water. AMC gave TV host Chris Hardwick the green light to return to Talking Dead, following their investigation of allegations of sexual assault and emotional abuse made an ex-girlfriend. Meanwhile, Louis CK, accused of sexual misconduct by five women, made a surprise return to stand-up comedy this week, sparking outrage on social media.
