Prosecutors in Paris are conducting an inquiry into the apparent suicide of an actress who claimed Gérard Depardieu sexually assaulted her decades ago.
Emmanuelle Debever, aged 60, passed away on December 7 in a Parisian hospital following her discovery in the River Seine.
Prosecutors stated that "media reports" of the grievances she lodged against the actor in 2019 were contributing to the investigation into the cause of her death. No indication exists that a criminal act has been executed. A week prior to her passing, Debever abandoned her residence while leaving a note.
A documentary airing on the day of her death contained multiple allegations of sexual misconduct levied against Depardieu.
The documentary disclosed for the first time that in 2018, another actress, Charlotte Arnould, accused Depardieu of rape in a lawsuit.
The documentary also captured the actor employing explicit language while filming in North Korea in 2018, which occurred in the presence of women. Since its initial airing, a number of French film industry figures have distanced themselves from Depardieu.
On multiple occasions, the actor has refuted allegations of mistreating women, while his former agent has charged the media with staging a trial. France Télévisions announced that Depardieu's films would no longer be broadcast.
The host of the popular show France Has Got Talent, Justine Becattini, stated that images of Depardieu observing a juvenile girl riding a horse in North Korea caused her to "want to vomit."
The premier of the French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec, Francois Legault, stated on Wednesday that Depardieu's "scandalous remarks" disqualified him from the National Order of Quebec.
The allegations against Debever were omitted from the documentary. She made a claim on Facebook in 2019 that Depardieu had fondled her during the 1982 filming of Danton.
The actress who portrayed the young second wife of Gérard Depardieu in Danton remarked, "The superstar enjoyed himself throughout the filming. Maximising the level of privacy available within a carriage.”
Debever appeared in a limited number of films and television programmes during the 1980s, but ceased to be recognised by the general public by the decade's conclusion.
According to the Paris prosecutor's office, there have been media reports indicating that the actress lodged a complaint regarding Gérard Depardieu's alleged inappropriate conduct.
Given the recently acquired information, an investigation has been commenced into the circumstances that transpired prior to her passing. Depardieu has helmed the production of more than two hundred films since the early 1970s.
Among them are Cyrano de Bergerac and Green Card. At the moment, he is the focal point of two separate inquiries, each pertaining to the offence of sexual assault and rape.
In an October open letter to the newspaper Le Figaro, he denied all accusations made against him. His entire existence has been spent being provocative, exaggerated, and at times vulgar, he claimed. “I have frequently had the courage to do what others were unwilling to do: to challenge established boundaries and norms. Nonetheless, I abstain from both rape and predation.”
"In my entire life, I have never assaulted a woman," the actor wrote. He mentioned that in response to the media tribunal and the reserved outrage that has been directed at him, he can only offer his word in defence.
