Although the tide of sexual harassment allegations overtaking Hollywood has slowed, it isn’t over. According to the BBC and The Hollywood Reporter, veteran French actor Gerard Depardieu is accused of sexually assaulting and then raping a French actress.
The BBC reports that French authorities have launched an investigation into the claims after a woman approached authorities in southern France, claiming to have been raped at Depardieu’s home in Paris on August 7 and again on August 13 of this year.
The woman, whose name isn’t mention in filings, claims she is a dancer and sometimes-actress in her 20s, and Depardieu, who is in his 60s, had been giving her career advice.
Depardieu “absolutely” denies the allegations. His lawyer, who spoke to French radio, says he’s confident that his client’s name will be cleared.
“I had a long meeting with Gérard Depardieu and I am absolutely convinced his innocence will be established,” Depardieu’s attorney told France Info, adding that his client is “shaken” and that rape and sexual assault go against everything the actor “is and respects.”
Hollywood has been noticeably quiet since the fall, when sexual harassment allegations came pouring out of the woodwork, targeting some of the industry’s biggest stars. Mega-producer Harvey Weinstein and actor-director Kevin Spacey were both accused of multiple incidents of sexual assault and both are also under criminal investigation.