“No, we are not proud of Gérard Depardieu,” former French President François Hollande declared Thursday, in response to the comments of his successor Emmanuel Macron, who, the day before, had defended the actor, targeted by complaints for rape and sexual assault.
Wednesday evening, on television, Mr. Macron said he was “a great admirer of Gérard Depardieu […], a huge actor.” “He made France, our great authors, our great characters known throughout the world […]he makes France proud,” continued the Head of State, denouncing a “manhunt” following the broadcast of a shocking documentary on this film star.
He contradicted the Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak, who announced Friday that a “disciplinary procedure” would be initiated by the Grand Chancellery of the Legion of Honor against the actor.
Mr. Macron’s comments sparked a reaction from many feminist associations and many political leaders, with the actor, the target of two complaints in France for rape and sexual assault, being indicted in one of the two cases. He rejects these accusations.
“He spoke about Gérard Depardieu, his talent, and the presumption of innocence. I am going to tell you about the 14 women attacked, the humiliated women, the women upset by the images they saw, all these women who see through Gérard Depardieu what violence, domination, contempt can be. , reacted Mr. Hollande on France Inter radio.
In total, 14 women testified, most of them in an investigation by the Mediapart information website in April, of sexual violence on the part of the actor. The vast majority did not file a complaint.
For François Hollande, what was “expected” from Emmanuel Macron was to “talk about women and not simply to say that he was a great actor”.
“No, we are not proud of Gérard Depardieu,” continued the former president, “when, looking at a young girl riding a horse and barely 12 years old, he sexualizes her. No, we are not proud.”
If he recognizes “the excesses” of social networks, François Hollande emphasizes that “at some point, we must also speak clearly and say what action for women entails”.
Emmanuel Macron “made this cause [la cause des femmes], the big affair of his five-year term and this is how he deals with the question of Gérard Depardieu? » he was still surprised.