Depardieu is accused of raping actress, 22
HOLLYWOOD actor Gérard Depardieu has been charged with the rape and sexual assault of a 22-year-old actress.
The 72-year-old French star is alleged to have attacked her over several days in 2018 while she was in play rehearsals in Paris.
Depardieu – star of hit films Green Card and Cyrano de Bergerac – allegedly asked her back to his mansion in the French capital to “help her with her career”.
A source from the investigation said: “The woman is a family friend. It was while he was mentoring the woman that the crimes are said to have been committed.”
Bail
Depardieu, who denies wrongdoing, has reportedly been made aware of the claims.
Rape and sexual assault cases were dropped originally because of lack of evidence.
But a judicial source told France’s national news agency that they had been reopened.
Depardieu’s lawyer Hervé Temime said his client was free on bail.
Elodie Tuaillon-Hibon, representing the woman, said her client would be remaining anonymous.
She said the alleged victim had been able to “automatically reopen the case”. There was no immediate indication of any new evidence.
Last month French director Luc Besson was classed as an “assisted witness” over allegations that he raped an actress.
The case is the second brought against the Fifth Element director by actress Sand Van Roy, who accuses Besson, 61, of repeatedly raping her.
In France, assisted witness status indicates a judge considers there is some evidence to suggest blame, but not enough for a charge.