French cinema giant Gérard Depardieu was removed from the National Order of Quebec on Wednesday by the Prime Minister of the French-speaking Canadian province for “shocking” remarks against women recently broadcast in a report. “The scandalous remarks made by Gérard Depardieu in front of the cameras shocked the international public, with good reason. His behavior tarnishes the reputation of the members of the National Order of Quebec,” announced François Legault in a press release.
“I therefore took the decision to order his removal from the Order, effective immediately,” he added, referring to the broadcast at the beginning of December, on the television channel France 2, of a sequence shot five years earlier in North Korea. In these images, the actor multiplies misogynistic and insulting remarks while addressing women, not sparing a little girl from his obscene remarks. Already charged with rape, the French actor has been targeted since mid-September by another complaint from an actress who accuses him of having sexually assaulted her during filming in 2007, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office. Gérard Depardieu denies these accusations.
This is the first time that the Council of the National Order of Quebec has unanimously recommended the removal of a member, the ultimate sanction in the event of notorious misconduct or serious misconduct. Founded in 1984, the national order is the most prestigious recognition awarded by the Canadian province. Gérard Depardieu was named a knight in 2002. A national icon in the same way as Alain Delon or Brigitte Bardot, known throughout the world, Gérard Depardieu is an extraordinary actor whose career has been punctuated by excesses and scandals. He has more than 200 films in cinema and television to his credit.
