An actor who claimed Gérard Depardieu slid his hand up her skirt during filming has reportedly died by suicide on the same day a documentary on sexual assault allegations against the French megastar was broadcast.
Emmanuelle Debever, a promising young talent in French cinema in the 1980s who later pulled back from the limelight, acted with Depardieu, 74, in the 1983 film Danton.
In June 2019, she became one of the first women to accuse Depardieu of historic sexual misconduct – which the veteran actor denied at the time.
On Tuesday (12 December), French newspaper Libération reported Debever had taken her own life. She is believed to have died on 7 December.
In 2019, she shared her allegations against Depardieu in a post on Facebook. Alongside a photo of herself and the Green Card actor on the set of Danton, she said: “Holy Monster had quite a few things going on during this shoot... enjoying the privacy of inside a caravan.”
She added: “Sliding his big paw under my skirt to feel better to speak. Me, not letting myself be made.”
At the time, Depardieu strongly denied the allegations, telling French newspaper Le Figaro he had “never, ever abused a woman”.
Depardieu picking up a career achievement award at the El Gouna Film Festival in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of el Gouna on 23 October, 2020— (El Gouna Film Festival/AFP via G)
“I can no longer consent to what I hear, what I have read about myself for several months,” he said. “I finally want to tell you my truth. I have never, ever abused a woman. Hurting a woman would be like kicking my own mother in the stomach.”
Debever’s allegation was included in new documentary “Gerard Depardieu: The Fall of the Ogre”, which was broadcast on 7 December on the TV channel France 2, which covered a range of other claims made against the actor. French media later reported Debever, who was described by Elle as “one of the first women to accuse Depardieu” had died the same day the film was released.
In 2020, Depardieu was indicted on rape and sexual assault charges after being accused of raping and sexually assaulting French film star Charlotte Arnould, 28, at his Paris mansion in 2018.
The case was initially dropped in 2019, with authorities citing a lack of evidence, but was reopened in 2020 when criminal charges were filed. He is currently awaiting trial or for the charges to be dismissed.
Further allegations came this year, when Depardieu was accused in April of sexually inappropriate behaviour by 13 women. At the time, he denied any criminality through his Paris-based law firm.
In October, the My Father The Hero star published an open letter through Le Figaro, declaring he is “neither a rapist, nor a predator”.
Depardieu promoting Netflix drama Marseille in 2018— (AFP via Getty Images)
In the piece, Depardieu wrote he “can no longer consent to what I’ve heard, what I’ve read about myself for several months”.
“I thought I didn’t care, but no, actually no. This all gets to me,” he said. “To the media court, to the lynching that has been reserved for me, I have only my word to defend myself.”
On 7 December, French media outlets reported a new complaint had been filed against Depardieu by French actor Hélène Darras. Darras, who worked with Depardieu on the 2008 film Disco, claims she was sexually assaulted on the film’s set.
Speaking in an interview obtained by Deadline, Darras recalled her co-star “looked at me as if I were a piece of meat”, before he “came up to me and then passed his hand over my hips and buttocks”. She claims Depardieu continually groped her between takes, even after she declined an invitation to join him in a dressing room. Depardieu is yet to comment on these allegations.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
