French actress Charlotte Arnault revealed on Twitter on Friday that French star Gérard Depardieu raped her in August 2018, which he denies. The actor has faced accusations in this case for about a year. On December 16, 2020, the 72-year-old cinema giant was charged with "rape" and "sexual assault" against an actress in the summer of 2018, although the victim's name was not disclosed prior to this.
Arnault (25 years old) wrote on her social media account, "I am a victim of Depardieu... It has been exactly one year since the charges were brought against him. I can no longer remain silent." The young actress added, "He has been charged for a year. He continues to work while I have been deprived of life for three years, and I want to live without denying myself. This statement may be a huge shock in my life, and I gain nothing from it except the hope of regaining my peace." She concluded by saying, "By continuing to be silent, I am burying myself alive."
In late August, the young actress accused the actor of raping her twice and of sexual assaults that took place in his Parisian home on August 7 and August 13, 2018. In mid-August 2020, the plaintiff obtained the reopening of the investigation into the case through a civil lawsuit, after the public prosecutor's office in Paris shelved it without charges on June 4, 2019.
After the accusations were made against him a year ago, an investigating judge questioned Depardieu in relation to the case, according to sources familiar with the file. He denied the allegations and was released under judicial supervision. The same sources indicated that the actor appealed the indictment to the investigative chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal, requesting its annulment, but the request has not yet been considered, and the investigations are ongoing.
In addition to being an actress, Charlotte Arnault holds degrees in classical and contemporary dance as well as in piano. She has appeared in dozens of short films and several theater productions, and has also done voice acting (dubbing) for series on Netflix.
