Sexual assault accusation against Gérard Depardieu dropped

Recently, a sexual assault complaint against 75-year-old Gérard Depardieu was dismissed in France. Actress Hélène Darras claimed the incident occurred while filming the French film “Disco” in 2008. Although she made her allegations public in December, the complaint was dismissed due to the statute of limitations, as reported by Variety and The Hollywood Reporter on Monday Friday (22).

What the alleged victim says

In an interview with the Complément d'Enquête program, reported by Deadline, Darras described Depardieu as “uncontrollable” and claimed he treated her inappropriately. She explained that she had not previously reported the incident out of fear of possible repercussions, especially because, at the time, she was an extra and had not yet completed her theater training.

This episode is not the only one involving Gérard Depardieu, who has faced accusations of harassment from 14 women so far. A spokesperson for the Paris Public Prosecutor's Office revealed that Darras decided to file a separate complaint after testifying during an ongoing investigation related to the lawsuit filed by Charlotte Arnould, a previous accusation against the actor in 2018.

Actor's defense

At the time, Depardieu's lawyer vehemently denied any attack or rape, resulting in the case being closed in 2019 due to lack of evidence. However, the lawsuit was reopened in the summer of 2020, and the actor faced new allegations of rape and sexual assault, which he again denied. To date, Depardieu has not been convicted.

_{Article that reports that 50 French personalities signed a letter in defense of Gérard Depardieu (Reproduction/x/foletooficial)}

Hélène Darras was also one of 13 women who accused Depardieu of separate incidents of sexual harassment or assault, as revealed in a Mediapart investigative report in April 2023.

In response to the accusations, Gérard Depardieu addressed the issue in an open letter published in the French newspaper Le Figaro in October. He stated that “never, ever abused a woman” and expressed how the accusations have negatively impacted his life, causing deep shock.

Featured Photo: Gérard Depardieu, 75, faces accusations of harassment from 14 women (Reproduction/Onur Coban/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)