The hypocrisy of France’s feminist movement

A cultural war has erupted in France over the iconic figure of Gérard Depardieu. The 75-year-old actor is considered one of the greats of the French cinema but he stands accused of multiple allegations of sexual violence and harassment. An investigation is currently ongoing into claims he raped a young actress several years ago. The woman in question appeared in a documentary broadcast recently called The Fall of an Ogre, alongside another actress who alleges she was also a victim of Depardieu. The film broadcast footage of Depardieu making suggestive remarks to women in 2018. 

Depardieu denies all the allegations, stating in October last year that he has never ‘abused a woman’. The case has now become a political issue. The minister of culture, Rima Abdul-Malak, mooted the possibility of withdrawing Depardieu’s Legion of d’Honneur, an idea that was quickly shot down by Emmanuel Macron. Describing the criticism of Depardieu as a ‘manhunt’, the president said: ‘He’s an immense actor, a genius of his art.