Gérard Depardieu Rape Case To Be Re-Opened In France

French actor Gérard Depardieu is facing the re-opening of a rape investigation in his native France after his accuser re-filed her complaint.

Agence France-Presse is reporting that the case is set to be re-opened after prosecutors previously dropped the inquiry in 2019 citing a lack of evidence after a nine-month investigation. French law mandates that once an accuser refiles a claim, it must be examined by a magistrate.

The unnamed actress alleges that the incident took place at Depardieu’s Paris home in August 2018, when she was 22, claiming the actor, in his 70s, assaulted her twice during rehearsal sessions. Depardieu has always maintained his innocence.

AFP also had a quote from Depardieu’s lawyer who said he had not been informed about the case re-opening and called it a “non-event, as it is an automatic decision”.

The famed actor, an Oscar nominee and multiple Cesar winner, has been a controversial figure in the past, including an incident in 2011 when he urinated on a flight, and in 2012 when he was accused of assaulting a motorist.

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