Macron makes enemies defending rape-accused star – POLITICO

PARIS — The storm sparked by Emmanuel Macron’s protection of movie star Gérard Depardieu exhibits no signal of abating because the showbiz world tears itself aside over accusations concentrating on one in all France’s best-known actors.

The French movie star is on the heart of a contemporary controversy over allegations of sexual assault after a documentary launched final month featured Depardieu making obscene remarks and sexualizing a younger woman. He has nevertheless discovered a supporter in an sudden nook: the French presidency.

In an interview in December, Macron took the political institution without warning when he got here out in help of Depardieu praising “his genius,” his contributions to French film-making and condemning a “a man-hunt” towards him. “I’m an amazing admirer of Gérard Depardieu… he makes France proud,” he mentioned.

The 75-year-old actor, who has stared in over 200 movies, has been underneath investigation for rape since 2020 and faces a number of accusations of sexual assault, following testimonies printed on the web site Mediapart. Depardieu has denied all allegations.

Macron’s stance on Depardieu stands out from how different Western leaders have sometimes dealt with delicate gender violence subjects. The Spanish Prime Minister has been vocal on struggle towards sexism and sexual violence, whether or not in soccer or in legislative battles, whereas the U.Ok.’s Rishi Sunak has expressed concern over allegations within the media business or within the Conservative Social gathering.

Macron’s sudden feedback have additionally reignited a tradition warfare that has break up the world of showbiz over how sexual assault allegations towards celebrities and highly effective males are dealt with.

French actors, writers and movie producers have lined up on either side of the talk, signing competing open letters. One slammed “a lynching” towards Depardieu whereas one other criticized “the particular therapy” granted to the actor.

The row over Depardieu has blown up right into a complicated political rift as actors pulled help from the the pro-Depardieu letter after it emerged its creator had hyperlinks with the far-right. Yannis Ezziadi, a bull-fighting activist and far-right commentator, began the letter in protection of Depardieu earlier than a number of actors distanced themselves from his marketing campaign.

Because the French president must struggle Marine Le Pen’s Nationwide Rally on a number of fronts, together with shopping for energy, the warfare in Ukraine and immigration, tradition wars is a battleground Macron may do with out. “Depardieu is our terroir (heritage), and in France, you don’t contact the terroir,” mentioned a casting director quoted just lately by Mediapart.

Going towards the grain

When Emmanuel Macron got here to energy in 2017 on the peak of the #metoo motion, he campaigned on gender points, promising to make the struggle towards sexism a “nice trigger” of his first mandate. “Disgrace should change sides,” he mentioned on the time. The French president promoted numerous feminine MPs and nominated the nation’s second-ever feminine prime minister Elisabeth Borne in 2022.

However Macron has been reluctant to behave on accusations towards males in his personal authorities. In 2020, Macron appointed Gérald Darmanin as inside minister regardless of an ongoing investigation for rape (for which Darmanin was later cleared) and later when one in all his former ministers was accused of rape, he cautioned towards any rash reactions.

In final month’s interview with French channel France 5, Macron justified his protection of Depardieu and choice to withstand calls to strip the actor of his Légion d’Honneur, arguing that ostracizing Depardieu on the idea of allegations goes towards the precept of the presumption of innocence.

“I’m unassailable on problems with the struggle towards violence towards ladies… however issues should be carried out in the precise order. Amongst our values there’s the presumption of innocence and also you received’t see me participate in man-hunts, I hate that,” he mentioned.

For a lot of within the movie business, Macron displayed a scarcity of empathy for the plaintiffs and a tin-eared angle on problems with gender violence.

He additionally raised eyebrows when he questioned the journalistic work behind a latest documentary that includes Depardieu making sexist feedback about an interpreter and sexualizing a younger woman throughout a go to to North Korea in 2018. Echoing faux information circulating on the web, Macron hinted the modifying of the documentary broadcast on TV channel France 2 was deceptive.

On Tuesday, French actor Laure Calamy, who starred within the French collection Name my Agent! mentioned the president’s feedback had been “a slap within the face” towards the ladies who had been brave sufficient to press costs “if you see how troublesome it’s to lodge a grievance, particularly towards a robust man” in France.

The French president’s feedback additionally perplexed observers given Depardieu’s tempestuous relationship along with his dwelling nation, the movie star having expressed his admiration for Russia’s Vladimir Putin and disdain for France.

However Depardieu was nonetheless probably the most widespread actors in France final 12 months, elevating questions over whether or not Macron might also be intentionally going towards the grain of a political and creative elites which might be typically left-leaning and delicate to gender points.

With the hard-right media in France, together with TV channel CNews and radio channel Europe 1, turning Depardieu right into a trigger célèbre, some have questioned whether or not Macron is searching for to undercut the far proper forward of EU elections in June.

Macron’s “reward of Gérard Depardieu seems like a brand new nod to the extra reactionary a part of public opinion” in France, writes the every day Le Monde in an editorial.