Gérard Depardieu's Sordid, Troubling Past Exposed: French Actor Admitted He Raped Woman At Age 9 — Long Before Sexual Misconduct Investigation
April 12 2023, Published 6:15 p.m. ET
French actor Gérard Depardieu has been accused of sexual misconduct by 13 women, hardly a first-time allegation for the embattled star who is already indicted on rape and sexual assault charges in connection to a 2018 case.
RadarOnline.com can report that Depardieu was at the center of a firestorm in the early 1990s for his problematic remarks and admissions about his wild and rambunctious youth, shockingly stating that he participated in his first assault at the age of 9.
The 74-year-old had women's rights activists rallying against him after reading a TIME story, in which Depardieu was asked about comments he had made in a 1978 interview published in the magazine Film Comment.
"I had plenty of rapes, too many to count," Depardieu said when asked about the subject. "But it was absolutely normal in those circumstances," he added. "That was part of my childhood."
Tammy Bruce, president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Organization for Women, expressed fury on behalf of the females in her community who were shocked by his cavalier confession.
"His comments are violent and hateful. It seems that Mr. Depardieu considers it normal that he has gone around raping women. It is an outrage to honor him at the Academy Awards," she declared.
Depardieu later backtracked and said he was taken out of context in the TIME piece. "It is perhaps accurate to say that I had sexual experiences at an early age," the actor fired back in a statement. "But rape — never. I respect women too much."
His team said his words were mistranslated and that he admitted only to having witnessed sexual assaults.
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Depardieu's spokesman Claude Davy also told us at the time that he was "misquoted" in the article.
"When he said he took part in his first rape at 9, it was just a joke to show that he was a man before his time," said Davy. "He's been happily married to the same woman for 21 years and lives the life of a normal family man with two teenage children."
The 13 women who have since come forward with fresh claims of sexual misconduct said their experiences allegedly took place during the filming of 11 films released between 2004 and 2022, which sparked an ongoing investigation.
One former extra claimed he "put his hand under her dress" before becoming "aggressive" because she pushed him. Another extra alleged that he had a "wandering hand" and suggested they go for a romp in his dressing room.
Depardieu's rep shot down the latest claims and said he "formally denies all of the accusations that could be subject to criminal law."
At this time, no lawsuit has been filed.
As for his indictment, criminal charges were filed in December following allegations of rape and sexual assault tied to a 2018 lawsuit filed by Charlotte Arnould, reported Variety, adding that no custodial measures had been taken against the actor.