Gérard Depardieu rape case to be reopened, report claims

Allegations of rape against the actor Gerard Depardieu will be re-investigated by Paris prosecutors, it has been claimed.

Agence France-Presse reports that sources close to the case have stated an investigating magistrate was appointed in August to re-examine the claim of rape.

Depardieu, 71, was accused of raping a 22-year-old actor in his Paris home in 2018, an allegation Depardieu has denied. After nine months of investigation, French prosecutors dropped the case due to lack of evidence.

In August, the actor, now 24, relaunched proceedings by claiming to be an “injured party”. Under French law, “injured parties” typically have their cases investigated by a magistrate.

Herve Temime, counsel for Depardieu, told AFP that he “was not informed” of the reopening of the investigation, and called it a “non-event” and “automatic decision” based on French law.

A lawyer for the woman in question told AFP: “She renews her confidence in the courts, at whose disposal she stands.”

Depardieu, a giant of French cinema, is best known for his roles in Cyrano de Bergerac and The Last Metro. He has also appeared in American films including Green Card, The Man in the Iron Mask and 102 Dalmatians.

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