(Paris) The statue of French actor Gérard Depardieu was removed on Monday from the tour route of the Grévin museum in Paris, AFP learned from the management of the Wax Pantheon of Celebrities, while Julie Depardieu, daughter of the actor, defended his father in a television interview.
The decision to withdraw was taken “in the face of negative reactions from visitors (passing in front of the actor’s wax figure, Editor’s note), as well as on our social networks,” said the Grévin museum.
Questioned on the CNews news channel on Monday evening, actress Julie Depardieu defended her father by denouncing an “unprecedented” “manhunt”, “disgusting”, against a man “who has freedom of speech” in a world where “no one dares to speak anymore.”
“I am surprised by the violence of the rejection of this man whom we have idolized all his life,” she said, specifying that her father had left France and would not spend Christmas with his family.
She described him as someone “extremely modest” and “very respectful towards his children”, acknowledging that he could be “rude” and “heavy” and that she had sometimes been “ashamed as a child” in front of him. “his freedom of speech.”
In a column published by Le Journal du Dimanche, Gérard Depardieu’s family had already denounced “a cabal”, deploring in particular a “collective rage” against the actor.
The recent broadcast of a report on the actor, in the program Complément d’investigation on the French channel France 2, caused a shock wave, with international repercussions. In these images, Gérard Depardieu, indicted for rape since 2020 after accusations that he disputes, multiplies misogynistic and insulting remarks when addressing women.
At the end of last week, the actor of 1492: Christopher Columbus was removed from the National Order of Quebec and his title of honorary citizen of the commune of Estaimpuis (Belgium).
In France, the Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak announced on Friday a disciplinary procedure for the honorary order of the Legion of Honor, which could lead to its withdrawal. The sacred monster of French cinema responded the next day via his lawyers by saying he was making this prestigious distinction “at the disposal” of the minister.
Created in 1882, the Grévin museum welcomes 800,000 visitors per year, most often families with children.
The statues of 250 historical and contemporary personalities are presented there. Gérard Depardieu inaugurated his wax double in 1981.
