Gerard Depardieu

Gérard Depardieu, one of the most lauded French actors of his generation, has been charged with rape and sexual assault. As Variety notes, French press agency AFP broke the news. The charges against the 72-year-old stem from a 2018 incident. A then-22-year-old actress says she had been invited over to his Paris home to rehearse a play, and during that process was twice assaulted. In 2019, the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence, but the case was reopened in 2020, and criminal charges were ultimately filed last December. Depardieu’s lawyer, Herve Temime, said his client “completely rejects the accusations.” The attorney for the alleged victim asked that her client’s “private sphere will be respected.” AFP spoke to a “source close to the case,” who said that Depardieu is a frie...