Did Gérard Depardieu punch an Italian photographer in Rome on Tuesday afternoon? According to the Italian press, the French actor attacked Rino Barillari, a 79-year-old paparazzi from Rome, who was trying to photograph him. The daily La Repubblica reports that the events took place “at the beginning of the afternoon on Via Veneto, at Harry’s Bar”. The photographer apparently ended up in the emergency room for an “injury to the eyebrow bone” before testifying to the police.
“Depardieu hit me three times in the face. I have a headache,” said Rino Barillari according to La Stampa. “I photographed him discreetly with a very beautiful girl. She noticed it and threw a glass of ice at me, he further explained. I didn’t expect what happened next. Then she came out, came up to me and said “shit”. I took a step back and smiled at him. But then it happened. I didn’t have time to understand what was happening before he hit me three times in the face.”
Interviewed by La Stampa, the owner of Harry’s Bar Piero Lepore explained that he had the impression of “reliving a scene from fifteen years ago”. “Before we were used to it, today we have the impression of going back in time and we really didn’t expect it,” he said. Depardieu was eating outside with friends, there were six of them, Barillari passed by, saw him and took a few photos of him. While he was taking the photos, the woman who was with Depardieu threw herself at him. He told her all kinds of things. Depardieu arrived without saying anything, he hit Rino twice. Then he got in the car and they left.” According to the Italian press, an investigation is underway.
Earlier in the day, Gérard Depardieu had been the target of a hoax announcing his return to cinema in an improbable 100 million euro blockbuster, an announcement categorically denied by his agents. The actor will be tried next October in Paris for sexual assault on two women during filming in 2021. He has also been indicted since 2020 for rape and sexual assault on a young actress, Charlotte Arnould. Several other complaints have been filed against the 75-year-old actor, who denies the charges against him.
At the end of December, before the actor was summoned to court, Emmanuel Macron defended the actor, hailing a “huge actor” who “makes France proud”, and denouncing “a manhunt”.