French actor Gérard Depardieu is officially under investigation for raping an actress in his home three years ago

His lawyer told French news agency AFP that Mr. Depardieu “totally denies [d]” the allegation and that the investigation should not have been made public

The art world in France has been shaken by a series of accusations of sexual abuse against prominent personalities

M Depardieu, 73, is one of the country’s most famous actors, known for films such as Jean de Florette, Green Card and Cyrano

An initial investigation into rape allegations was dropped in 2019, with prosecutors citing insufficient evidence, but was reopened last summer Prosecutors officially placed Mr. Depardieu under investigation in December 2020

The woman’s lawyer, Elodie Tuaillon-Hibon, told AFP that she hoped her client’s “privacy” would be respected as the case unfolded

Able to combine bearish physique and emotional delicacy on screen, he has appeared in some 170 films, getting his big break in 1973 with Les Valseuses (Going Places)

He won the best actor award for Cyrano at Cannes in 1990, and was nominated for an Oscar for the same role

Green Card, an English-language comedy produced the same year, earned him acclaim outside the French-speaking world

Offscreen, he has made headlines in recent years for attacking French tax laws, moving to Belgium to protest

In 2013, he took Russian nationality, with his naturalization decree signed personally by President Vladimir Putin

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Gerard Depardieu