Gérard Depardieu Rape Case Dropped By Paris Prosecutors

French film star Gérard Depardieu’s rape case has been dropped after Paris’ prosecutor’s office concluded that there wasn’t enough incriminating evidence.

The case was filed by an actress that Depardieu had reportedly “taken under his wing.” Back in August of last year when the case was filed, the actress accused him of sexually assaulting her twice and on separate occasions.

In response to the news of the case being dropped, one of Depardieu’s legal representatives spoke on the actor’s behalf. “Gérard Depardieu experienced this complaint very painfully, and it is of course a relief,” the rep said.

Should the victim and her legal team decide to appeal the decision, they could easily do so, as France’s government allows for cases to be tried again. The process will include the case and whatever evidence there is being handed over to a private investigator. However, at this moment, whether that’ll happen is unclear as the actress involved in the case and her team have not spoken out following the case’s outcome.

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With the actress’ identity still under wraps, the case signals a major difference between French’s #MeToo movement and America’s #MeToo movement. In France, the reactions to cases have been muted, leading to very little or absolutely no media coverage at all.

In February of this year, French prosecutors dropped another high-profile rape case in similar fashion. French film director Luc Benson was accused of rape, with nine women describing inappropriate behavior but only one actress, Sand Van Roy, pursuing legal action. She described an incident that occured in 2002 when Benson allegedly forced himself onto her and tried to kiss her.

While Depardieu remains a constant face in the French film industry, he has become somewhere of a magnet for controversy in recent years. After acquiring citizenship in Russia, where the #MeToo movement is also struggling to find its voice, he publically proclaimed his love for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.