French President Emmanuel Macron recently criticized what he called a “manhunt” directed at Gérard Depardieu, the French actor who has faced a decline in his reputation due to allegations of sexual harassment and assault. Macron’s remarks stirring up controversy occurred following the airing of a documentary in France this month that showed Depardieu making sexually explicit and sexist comments during a 2018 trip to North Korea. Depardieu, 74, has faced renewed scrutiny leading to accusations of sexual assault, the removal of international honors, and the removal of a wax likeness of him from a Paris museum.
President Macron stood up for Depardieu on French television, stating Depardieu “makes France proud” and criticized an “era of suspicion” against well-known artistic and cultural figures. While Macron declined to retract Depardieu’s Legion of Honor award, stating his culture minister had gone too far, feminists and other leftists decried his comments. The mixed reaction in France reflects the country’s complex acceptance of the #MeToo movement as well as a cultural divide with the United States.
Gérard Depardieu, who has acted in over 250 films in the last 50 years, has faced several allegations of sexual abuse in recent years, with 13 women making accusations to a news site in April. Depardieu has been charged with rape and sexual assault but maintains his innocence, claiming he has “never, ever abused a woman.” A documentary that was aired recently showed Depardieu making extremely crude and sexual comments about women during his 2018 trip to North Korea. After its airing, Depardieu faced additional revocations of honors from Canada and Belgium, and a Spanish journalist accused him of non-consensual kissing and groping in 1995.
The controversy has sparked mixed reactions in France, with feminist groups criticizing Macron for supporting Depardieu and leftist politicians expressing disappointment in his stand. Despite this, Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak stated support for not “stopping watching his movies” but called his comments “intolerable” and noted he was a “monument of world cinema.”