French actor Gerard Depardieu has been accused of sexual assault (Picture: Thierry Roge/AFP via Getty Images)
Gérard Depardieu has been accused of sexual assault by a second woman relating to an alleged incident that occurred in 2007 on the set of Disco.
French actress Hélène Darras lodged the complaint with the Paris Prosecutor’s Office on September 10, accusing him of hounding her during filming.
Depardieu, who was Oscar-nominated for his performance in Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s Cyrano de Bergerac, has previously denied any allegations in an open letter.
This included an accusation filed by another woman in 2018 accusing him of rape, with the case currently making its way through the courts after calls in 2021 for it to be reopened.
The new allegation from Darras, relates to an incident when she was 26 years old, appearing in a small role in Disco alongside an almost 60 year old Depardieu.
According to Deadline, France 2’s investigative show Complément d’Enquête first reported the assault in a new documentary compiling accusations against the 74-year-old.
This is one of many accusations levied at the actor (Picture: Tristar Media/Getty Images)
In the documentary, Darras claims: ‘He was unmanageable. He looked at me as if I were a piece of meat.
‘I was wearing a very tight dress [as her costume]. He came up to me and then passed his hand over my hips and buttocks.’
Her fear of being blacklisted prevented her from speaking out sooner, explaining: ‘I was an extra. I hadn’t even finished theatre school. I really wanted to be an actress and I didn’t want to be blacklisted at 26.’
The incident took a toll on Darras, ruining her confidence and her life, which she is now hoping to reclaim.
Depardieu has faced multiple accusations over the years, and Médiapart also published an in-depth report with 13 women making allegations.
A further investigation by radio station France Inter reported on two separate allegations.
In his October letter published in French newspaper Le Figaro to defend himself: ‘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.’
Metro.co.uk has reached out to Depardieu’s representatives for comment.
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He has denied allegations