Macron Defends National Actor in Sexual Scandal... Criticized as "Outdated"

"Depardieu Proud" Remark Controversy
Green Party Lawmaker Calls Him "One Who Sexualizes Ten-Year-Olds"

French President Emmanuel Macron has come to the defense of national actor G?rard Depardieu, who has been criticized for various sexual scandals, drawing strong criticism from the progressive camp and women's groups. On the 20th (local time), President Macron appeared on France 5 and questioned, "Is Depardieu a disgrace to France?" expressing his stance.

Emmanuel Macron (left) Actor G?rard Depardieu
[Photo by AFP·Yonhap News]

He said, "I am a passionate fan of Depardieu," and defended him as "a great actor and a genius artist who introduced France to the world, making France proud." He mentioned that a 'manhunt' against Depardieu has recently been underway, stating, "Someone can be accused and there may be victims, but on the other hand, there is also the presumption of innocence." He added, "I just hope that he can defend his rights like others and continue to work and create."

President Macron also raised issues regarding Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak's remarks on the broadcast that the French highest honor, the Legion of Honor, would initiate disciplinary procedures against Depardieu. He said, "Minister Malak got ahead of herself," and argued, "The Legion of Honor is not meant to emphasize morality, and the revocation of the honor cannot be based solely on reports."

The French left and women's groups strongly opposed this. Sandrine Rousseau, a Green Party member of parliament, said on social media and radio broadcasts, "President Macron's remarks are another insult to the movement to free the voices of sexual violence victims." She added, "The state does not become proud of someone who sexually targets a ten-year-old child."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Anne-C?cile Mailfert, president of the Women's Foundation, also criticized, saying, "It goes without saying how absurd, vile, and outdated the president's remarks are to the victims." Olivier Faure, leader of the Socialist Party, wrote on his social media, "If I were the responsible minister, I would seriously consider joining Aur?lien Rousseau (former Minister of Health)." Former Minister Rousseau resigned the day before in protest against the passage of the immigration law amendment.

Former President Fran?ois Hollande, Macron's predecessor, also criticized. Appearing on a radio broadcast on the 21st, he said, "We are not proud of Depardieu," and pointed out, "President Macron named violence against women as the biggest issue during his term, but look at how he is handling the Depardieu issue now."

Depardieu is a French national actor who won Best Actor awards at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival and the 1991 C?sar Awards for the film "Cyrano." He has appeared in over 170 films. In 1996, he received France's highest Legion of Honor from then-President Jacques Chirac. In August 2018, he was indicted at the end of 2020 on charges of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s whom he knew at his home in Paris. Since then, several actresses have come forward with allegations of sexual violence by Depardieu.

Actor G?rard Depardieu Photo by Yonhap News Agency·AFP

On the 7th, a documentary accusing Depardieu of misogynistic and obscene remarks during his 2018 visit to North Korea was aired on French public television. It detailed that he was invited to North Korea to attend the '9.9 Day' event commemorating the 70th anniversary of the North Korean regime's founding, where he frequently made obscene jokes to a North Korean female interpreter and did not hesitate to make obscene remarks targeting a 10-year-old girl. The documentary also stated that the number of people who have claimed to be victims of sexual violence by Depardieu reached 16. Subsequently, Quebec, Canada, revoked the Quebec Honorary Order awarded to Depardieu in 2002, and the Gr?vin Museum in Paris removed his full-body wax figure.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.