The lifesize wax likeness of French actor Gérard Depardieu has been removed from the Grévin Wax Museum in Paris. The institution announced last Monday, Dec. 18, that it had decided to do so due to the "negative reactions of visitors" following the sexual abuse accusations made against the actor.
Depardieu, who has starred in over 200 movies, was placed under judicial investigation in 2020 for the alleged rape and sexual abuse of French actress Charlotte Arnould. Since then, over a dozen women-comprising other actresses, makeup artists, and production staff-have accused Depardieu of sexual harassment.
These accusations regained public attention after the release of a documentary by the country's public service channel, France 2, called "Depardieu: The Fall of an Ogre." It included footage of the actor uttering sexist remarks and gestures amidst a North Korea trip in 2018, saying, "I weigh 124 kilos. Without an erection. With an erection, I'm 126 kilos."
Depardieu himself has since denied the allegations and wrote an open letter publicized by the French newspaper Le Figaro, wherein he said: "I have never, ever abused a woman. Hurting a woman would be like kicking my own mother in the stomach."
Numerous institutions have denounced their support for the French actor despite the lack of a court ruling. According to a report by France24, last Saturday, Dec. 16, the Belgian municipality of Estaimpuis revoked the honorary title they gave Depardieu in 2013. Similarly, just a few days prior on Dec. 13, the government of a Canadian province had stripped the French actor of his "Order of Quebec" honor over his "obscene" comments.
This decision to remove Depardieu's four-decade-old wax figure also coincides with French Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak's announcement that a "disciplinary procedure" is being carried out in regards to whether or not the French actor's Legion of Honor award will also be revoked.
