Gérald Depardieu accused of attacking “the king of paparazzi” in Rome

The French actor claimed, via his lawyer, to have “interposed himself between the paparazzo and his partner”.

Rino Barillari, nicknamed the “king of the paparazzi”, accuses Gérard Depardieu of having physically attacked him on Tuesday May 21 on Via Veneto, in the heart of Rome. The French actor, for his part, claims to have “interposed between the paparazzo and his companion”.

The scene took place at Harry’s bar, one of the most popular establishments in the center of the Italian capital. “I saw him via Veneto with a woman. I approached to take some photos”said the 79-year-old photographer, quoted by the Roman daily Il Messaggero. He claims that the woman who accompanied the actor (his companion Magda Vavrusova) tried to block him before Gérard Depardieu punched him three times in the face.

In the evening, the actor and his partner gave their version of the facts through a press release from their lawyer, Delphine Meillet: “Rino Barillari, as well known for his photos as for his aggressive methods, violently pushed Gérard Depardieu’s partner”. Still according to her lawyer, the actor’s partner told the Roman police that she had been a victim “extremely violent” and filed a complaint. “Faced with the violence of the situation, Gérard Depardieu, who intervened between the paparazzo and his companion, fell and slipped on him,” also explained the couple’s lawyer.

The actor’s partner is at the Umberto I hospital in Rome, according to Delphine Meillet. For his part, the photographer, contacted by telephone late Tuesday afternoon by AFP, was not able to respond: “I can’t talk, I’m in the hospital.” According to Il Messaggerowho managed to question him before his hospitalization, the photographer also intends to file a complaint.

Gérard Depardieu must be tried in October in Paris for sexual assault on two women during filming in 2021. He has also been indicted since 2020 for rape and sexual assault on a young actress, Charlotte Arnould.