A mysterious death and a possible connection with the serious allegations against actor Gérard Depardieu (74) are currently affecting the French public. As the newspaper “Le Parisien” reports, among others, the actress Emmanuelle Debever died at the age of 60 – most likely by suicide. The Paris public prosecutor’s office has now launched an investigation to find out the exact cause of death. What’s special: In 2019, Debever accused “the holy monster of French cinema” of sexual violence via Facebook.
According to the investigating authorities, a man reported on November 29th that his partner had left the house and left a disturbing message. Immediately afterwards, the responsible forces searched for the missing Debever. The actress was later discovered after jumping from a bridge into the Seine. Rescue workers were able to revive the woman on site, but she died in a hospital on December 7th.
According to initial newspaper reports, the public prosecutor’s office has now established a possible connection with Depardieu. The authority’s statement reads: “The fact was mentioned in the media that this actress had complained about inappropriate behavior by Gérard Depardieu, in particular through a Facebook post. Given this new element, an investigation has been opened to determine the cause of her death .” The criminal police will look into the matter and investigate the circumstances that led to Debever’s death.
Debever accused her colleague Depardieu of sexual assault around four years ago on the set of a film they made together. During the filming of “Danton” in the early 1980s, he “shoved his big paw under my skirt in a carriage so he could smell me better.” But she didn’t put up with it.
Already in 2018, the actress Charlotte Arnould (28) filed a complaint against Depardieu for two alleged rapes. Depardieu was initially acquitted, but in 2022 the French judiciary decided that the charges would be maintained and that there was “serious and consistent evidence” of rape. The actor denies the allegations and said Arnould agreed to everything.
Over the past few years, the allegations against the actor have become more and more frequent. In the middle of this year, French media reported that 13 other women had accused the actor of sexual assaults that had occurred over the past 20 years. These are said to have ranged from obscene comments to unwanted touching.
At the beginning of December, actress Hélène Darras also made allegations against Depardieu, who is said to have sexually harassed her in 2007 during the filming of the film “Disco”. She was 26 years old at the time. It is currently being examined whether further investigations should be carried out in the case in view of the statute of limitations. The Paris public prosecutor’s office confirmed this to the French broadcaster “Franceinfo”. Depardieu’s lawyers have not yet commented on the latest allegations.
The death of Emmanuelle Debever coincided with the broadcast of a documentary about Gérard Depardieu, which attracted great attention across the country. The magazine “Complément d’enquête” conducted research into the circles of the elite French film milieu.
According to the French media, the picture that is painted of Depardieu there is that of a man who has an obvious obsession with sex and does not shy away from unmannerly or borderline-crossing comments as soon as women are in his presence.
The telephone counseling service offers help with depression and suicidal thoughts on the free number: 0800/111 0 111
