Gerard Depardieu case: Anouk Grinberg says awareness of sexual abuse is slowing in France

PARIS –

Prominent French actor Anouk Grinberg says the sexual assault case against fellow actor Gerard Depardieu reflects the slow path towards awareness of sexual abuse in France, particularly in the film industry, after years of silence.

Grinberg, 61, who has appeared in nearly 30 films, spoke on Monday about the hearing, which was supposed to be the start of Depardieu’s trial but was postponed until March due to concerns about the 75-year-old actor. player’s health.

She has known Depardieu for more than thirty years and starred with him in a film in 1991, as well as in “Green Shutters”. The case revolves around allegations of sexual assault against two women, one a production designer and the other a director’s assistant, on the set of the second movie in 2021.

Depardieu denied any wrongdoing.

In recent months, Grinberg also decided to speak out about the need for change, joining other French actors who decided to shed light on the unattractive side of the country’s industry.

“I witnessed this, like everyone else, for several years without any reaction,” he told the Associated Press. “Because I was overwhelmed by the violence, and we didn’t think of it as violence at the time.”

But she said things have “changed” in recent years with the #MeToo movement and more women speaking out. “And I took the measure of this violence.”

Grinberg also said he personally knew actor Charlotte Arnould, who accused Depardieu of two rapes allegedly committed in a separate case in August 2018. Depardieu was accused of rape and sexual assault in this case in 2020, but the judge has not yet decided whether to send the case to trial.

“What’s complicated about cases of sexual violence is that women often don’t act, they don’t defend themselves. And it’s not because they consent, it’s because they’re just petrified. Something inside them is dead, they’re paralyzed with horror, disgust,” Grinberg said.

“At this point we need to educate the community and the justice system,” he added.

Grinberg described in striking detail Depardieu’s obscene comments, which he said he constantly made on the set of the movie “Green Shutters”.

“Society as a whole has been really complicit in these actions, these excesses, these perversions,” Grinberg said. “I have witnessed this verbal violence on film sets who either remained completely silent or snickered.”

He said many people in the film world remain silent because they are afraid that if they speak out against powerful people in the industry, they will no longer be able to work.

Depardieu’s case shows that times have changed, especially since the alleged victims do not have high-profile roles. The “little hands” working in the movie industry are “speaking up and saying enough is enough. Enough is enough,” Grinberg said.

Earlier this year, French actor Judith Godreche called on France’s film industry to “face the facts” about sexual violence and physical abuse at the Cesar Awards ceremony, France’s version of the Oscars. “We may decide that men accused of rape can no longer direct (French) cinema,” Godreche said.

Last year, Adele Haenel, one of France’s top actors, announced she was leaving the French film industry, which she condemned for its “indifference to sexual predators.”

Haenel, star of the 2019 Cannes entry “Portrait of a Hot Lady,” published an open letter in Telerama magazine in which she said other key figures in Cannes and the French film industry were “ready to do anything to defend their rapist chiefs.” ”

Resources for sexual assault survivors in Canada

If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:

If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety, you should call 911.

A full list of sexual assault centers in Canada offering information, advocacy and counseling can be found on the website. Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centers.

Hotlines, legal services and locations offering sexual assault kits can be found in Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia Here.

National Residential School Crisis Line: +1 866 925 4419

24 hour crisis line: 416 597 8808

Canada Human Trafficking Hotline: +1 833 900 1010

Trans Lifeline: +1 877 330 6366

Sexual harassment support for current or former members of the Armed Forces: +1 844 750 1648

Learn about your rights as a victim Here. ​