Cops probe death of French actress who accused film star Gerard Depardieu of sex abuse
French authorities are probing the apparent suicide of a distraught actress who had accused controversial movie star Gerard Depardieu of sexual misconduct.
Emmanuelle Debever, 60, is believed to have jumped from a Paris bridge into the River Seine after disappearing from her home more than a week earlier — and died on the same day that French TV aired a scathing documentary about a string of sex abuse claims against Depardieu.
“In the media, it has been reported that the actress had complained of inappropriate behavior by Gerard Depardieu,” French prosecutors said in a statement, the BBC reported.
“In view of this new element, an investigation into the cause of her death has been opened,” the statement said.
The actor has not been charged with a crime.
Debever appeared in films and TV shows in France in the 1980s, and claimed in a 2019 Facebook post that Depardieu groped her while the two were filming the movie “Danton,” in which the actress portrayed the famous actor’s young second wife, according to the outlet.
“The superstar indulged himself during the shoot,” she wrote online. “Making the most of the privacy inside a carriage. Slipping his paw under my skirts the better to feel me up.”
Debever’s partner told police that the actress went missing from their home after leaving a “worrying” note. Cops later found Debever in the river and rushed her to a local hospital, where she died on Dec. 7.
On the same day, France 2 TV aired a documentary about claims of sexual abuse by the 74-year-old actor, including new claims by actress Charlotte Arnould, who sued Depardieu claiming that the “Cyrano de Bergerac” actor raped her in 2018.
The documentary prompted several figures in the French movie industry to distance themselves from the actor, and the country’s TV networks have pulled back on showing his movies after Debever’s death.
Debever’s claims were not addressed in the documentary, which alleged that Depardieu has harassed and sexually assaulted as many as 16 different women over the years.
The actor has long been clouded by claims of sexual misconduct and has been under investigation since Arnould filed her claims in December 2020.
He has appeared in more than 200 movies, including the 1990 film “Green Card,” a romantic comedy with Andie McDowell that enjoyed some success in the US.
Depardieu has repeatedly denied the allegations against him.
“All my life I have been provocative, over the top, at times crude,” he said in an open letter to Le Figaro in October. “I have often done what others did not dare to do — test the limits, shake up accepted wisdom.
“But I am not a rapist or a predator,” he wrote. “Never, ever have I abused a woman. To the media court, to the lynching that has been reserved for me, I have only my word to defend myself.”
Depardieu has not publically commented on the France 2 documentary or Debever’s death.
With Post wires.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
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