PARIS (AP) 鈥� French actor Gerard Depardieu鈥檚 behavior toward women came under renewed scrutiny in France after a documentary showed him repeatedly making obscene remarks and gestures during a 2018 trip to North Korea.
The footage, filmed by a professional crew that covered Depardieu鈥檚 visit during the 70th anniversary of North Korea's formation, was included in an investigative documentary that aired Thursday on national TV channel France 2. It had never been shown before to the public. Some excerpts quickly went viral on the social media.
Depardieu, 74, is among France鈥檚 most well-known stars. He was in December 2020 for rape and sexual assault, reportedly at his Paris home, following allegations from actor Charlotte Arnould in 2018. The investigation is ongoing.
Depardieu has denied any criminal conduct.
In the video recorded in North Korea by an unnamed video production company, Depardieu can be seen making groaning sounds and sexual comments in front of women, including about a 10-year old girl. He can also be seen posing for a photo while saying he was 鈥渢ouching the bottom鈥� of a North Korean interpreter by his side.
The documentary also features French comedian Helene Darras, who accused Depardieu of touching her bottom when she was a young extra for the 2008 film 鈥淒isco.鈥� The Paris prosecutor's office said Thursday that Darras filed a complaint against Depardieu in September for alleged sexual assault.
In a brief phone call with the journalists who worked on the documentary, Depardieu said, 鈥淭his whole thing is deeply bothering me鈥� and declined an interview offer.
He published an open letter in French newspaper Le Figaro newspaper in October that said, 鈥淚 want to tell you the truth. I have never, ever abused a woman.鈥�
About Arnould鈥檚 rape accusation, Depardieu wrote, 鈥淭here has never been any coercion, violence or protest.鈥�
鈥淎ll my life, I鈥檝e been provocative, outgoing, sometimes rude. 鈥� I never meant to do any harm, and I apologize for behaving like a child trying to entertain the crowd. But I鈥檓 not a rapist nor a predator,鈥� he said in the open letter.
Film director Fabien Onteniente, who worked with Depardieu on 鈥淒isco,鈥� said in a Friday interview with French broadcaster France Info that he didn鈥檛 witness any misconduct by the actor at the time. However, he said he 鈥渟aw something鈥� a few years later while making another film with Depardieu.
鈥淪o I had a private conversation with him. I told him that it鈥檚 inadmissible.鈥� Onteniente said. The director did not give any details about the alleged misbehavior but said he decided not to do any more projects with Depardieu.
Film director Marc Missonier says in the documentary that he had previously heard about the 鈥渋nappropriate attitude鈥� of Depardieu.
鈥淲e can say that the French cinema world didn鈥檛 ignore the problematic behavior of Gerard Depardieu,鈥� he said, adding that the actor's 鈥渟tatus鈥� as a world-famous star had once protected him.
French investigative news website Mediapart earlier this year published information saying that Depardieu has been accused of 13 young women.
The France 2 documentary claims the number of accusers now stands at 16.
French women鈥檚 activism group Osez le feminisme, or Dare Feminism, denounced 鈥渞ape culture鈥� and expressed its support to Arnould and others women affected by Depardieu's alleged misconduct. The group, which uses the hashtag #balancetonporc, which in English roughly translates to 鈥渟queal on your pig鈥�, has widely been viewed as helping to create France's version of the .
Sylvie Corbet, The Associated Press
