Macron faces backlash for defending movie star Depardieu

The French leader was branded “the promoter in chief of rape culture” over his comments

French President Emmanuel Macron is facing harsh criticism following a statement that he would never support what he called a “manhunt” against legendary actor Gerard Depardieu.

During an interview with the broadcaster France 5 on Wednesday, Macron was asked if he supported the initiative by Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak to strip Depardieu of the Order of the Legion of Honor following a recent documentary in which 16 women said the actor had harassed, groped, or sexually assaulted them.

The film entitled ‘Depardieu: The Fall of an Ogre’ also featured footage from the 74-year-old actor’s trip to North Korea, in which he’s shown making obscene comments about women, including a 12-year-old girl, and sexually harassing a female translator. Malak described the documentary as “absolutely shocking,” saying that she was “disgusted” by Depardieu’s behavior.

The movie star also remains under formal investigation over alleged rape since 2020, but denies any wrongdoing.

“You’ll never see me participate in a manhunt… hate that type of thing,” the president responded. Malak overstepped “a bit too much” when she announced a procedure that would deprive the movie star of the country’s highest state award, he said, adding that the order is “is not a moral tool.”

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“You can accuse someone — maybe there are victims, and I respect them, and I want them to be able to defend their rights. But there is also a presumption of innocence,” Macron stressed. The head of state called Depardieu, who starred in some 200 movies “an immense actor” and “a genius of his art... who makes France proud.”

Macron’s statements caused an angry outcry from women’s rights groups and his political opponents, with Green Party spokeswoman Sophie Bussiere calling him “the promoter in chief of rape culture.” 

In an interview with BFMTV, Anne-Cecile Mailfert, the president of France’s Foundation for Women labeled Macron’s statement “disgraceful, despicable and of another era.” 

Former French President Francois Hollande told France Inter radio on Thursday that he was “not proud of Gerard Depardieu” after watching the documentary adding that he expected Macron “to talk about women, and not simply to say that Gerard Depardieu was a great actor.” 

The Grevin Museum in Paris removed Depardieu’s figure from its “Pantheon of wax celebrities,” citing negative reactions from visitors after the documentary, AP reported on Monday.

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The same day, the authorities in Brussels announced that they’re revoking the actor’s Medal of Honor given to him in 2018. Last week, he was also deprived of his honorary citizenship by the Estaimpuis municipality in Belgium’s Walloon Region.