(Paris) Paris prosecutors have opened an investigation following the death last week of a French actress who was among those who accused film star Gérard Depardieu of sexual misconduct.
Actress Emmanuelle Debever posted a message on Facebook in 2019 according to which the actor touched her in 1982 while they were playing together for the film Danton.
Ms Debever’s companion told police on November 29 that she had left their home leaving a “disturbing” written message, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. After an apparent suicide attempt, the actress could not be saved in hospital.
She died on December 7 at the age of 60, according to media reports.
The same day, an investigative documentary was broadcast on national television channel France 2 about accusations of sexual misconduct against Gérard Depardieu, which included footage of him repeatedly making lewd remarks and gestures during a trip to North Korea in 2018.
The 74-year-old actor has been under investigation since December 2020 for rape and sexual assault, reportedly at his Paris home, following allegations made by actress Charlotte Arnould in 2018. He has denied any criminal behavior .
In October, Depardieu published an open letter in the French newspaper Le Figaro in which he said: “I finally want to tell you my truth. I have never, ever abused a woman.”
The Paris prosecutor’s office said that, given Ms Debever’s accusations against Mr Depardieu, an investigation into the causes of death had been opened – the procedure in place in France when the causes of death are unknown or suspicious.
French investigative news site Mediapart published reports earlier this year that Gérard Depardieu was accused of harassing, touching or sexually assaulting 13 women. The France 2 documentary claims that the number of accusers now stands at 16.
