Several of the 60 people who signed a petition in support of French actor Gerard Depardieu accused of rape and sexual harassment have now distanced themselves from the move. Since then, three petitions have appeared against Depardieu, signed by thousands of artists and celebrities.
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On Monday, actor and director Jacques Weber became the latest French celebrity to distance himself from an open letter titled “Don’t delete Gerard Depardieu” published on Christmas Day in the daily Le Figaro.
Weber said he regretted his “blindness” after signing the petition in support of the disgraced movie legend, who is accused of rape and faces a number of other sexual assault claims.
“As a reflex of friendship, I signed hastily without asking… Yes, I signed, forgetting the sacrifices and fate of thousands of women around the world who suffer from a state of affairs that has been accepted for too long,” Weber wrote in a new opinion piece published from the investigation site Mediapart on New Year’s.
“Despite the love or admiration for him from his friends, his family and the cinema family [Depardieu]we must not prevent the truth from coming out.”
“If we were guilty of accepting behavior that is now unacceptable on film and theater stages, then yes, I was guilty,” Weber admitted.
Other figures have since distanced themselves, including Depardieu’s former partner Carole Bouquet, Nadine Trintignan and Gerard Darmont.
Right links
The concern stems in part from the revelation that the petition’s author Yannis Eziadi – who is believed to be close to Julie Depardieu, Gerard’s daughter – writes for the ultra-conservative magazine talking, known for his ties to far-right circles.
Meanwhile, Trintignan, whose daughter Marie was murdered by singer Bertrand Canta in 2003, said Point that she did not know who wrote the column and admitted that she signed it because she disagreed with the media’s mistreatment of Depardieu – something she had suffered herself.
“Please don’t blame the people I shocked for my serious mistake. I am against the media lynching – which I experienced with violence in the press – that talked about a crime of passion regarding my daughter. Today, we talk about it as murder, and that’s fine,” insisted the actress and director.
On Sunday, actor Pierre Richard distanced himself from the letter. “I signed without knowing the ideological movement to which the author of the petition belongs,” he said.
Also on Sunday, actor Charles Burling also posted a message apologizing to the victims.
“My position obviously hurt a lot of people. I am deeply saddened and apologize. My commitment to violence against women is unwavering and will always remain so.”
Therefore, 8000 creators signed our collective forum in 48 hours. A movement of solidarity and solidarity that warms our hearts and somewhat reassures us about the possibilities of our common future.
1/4 pic.twitter.com/7wlThzYkhC— Brains Not Available (@CerveauxNon) December 31, 2023
“Spitting in the face” of the victims
Meanwhile, more than 8,000 artists have signed a counter-petition since December 29, including singers Angèle, Louane and rapper Médine.
Organized by the collective “Brains are not available” (Brains unavailable), the petition is particularly critical of President Emmanuel Macron’s response to the scandal.
Macron came to Depardieu’s defense on December 20, claiming the “tremendous” actor had been the subject of “persecution”.
However, the collective said that an artist, no matter how good his talent, should not be given special treatment.
“This forum and Macron’s defense spit in the face of the victims of Gerard Depardieu, but also of all victims of sexist and sexual violence,” the signatories wrote.
Another petition, entitled “An Appeal to the Old World,” was published on Sunday at Mediapart website with about 70 signatures of cinema personalities, including Laure Calamy and Anouk Greenberg.
The latest petition was published on Monday by the French left-wing daily Liberationproclaiming that “art is not a totem of impunity.”
“Holy monsters don’t exist. There are only ordinary people to whom we have given all rights,” the text reads.
The column is signed by 150 personalities from the world of culture, including actresses Muriel Robin, Alexandra Lammy and director Thomas Jolie.
