Nearly 60 French actors and other prominent figures have denounced the "lynching" of disgraced film legend Gerard Depardieu, accused of rape and facing a litany of sexual assault allegations.
Depardieu, 74, who has made more than 200 films and television series, was accused of rape in 2020 and has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by more than a dozen women.
"Gerard Depardieu is probably the best of all actors," said an open letter published in the French newspaper Le Figaro on Monday night, Christmas Day.
Among the signatories were the British actress Charlotte Rampling, the former first lady and French singer Carla Bruni and the French actor Pierre Richard.
"We can no longer remain silent in the face of the lynching he faces," they wrote, calling the attacks against him a "torrent of hate."
The letter said Depardieu was being attacked "challenging a presumption of innocence from which he would have benefited, like everyone else, if he were not the giant of cinema that he is."
The actor is facing new scrutiny over sexist comments caught on camera during a trip to North Korea in 2018 and broadcast for the first time in a documentary on national television this month.
The letter, which is also signed by the actor's former partner, actress Carole Bouquet, adds: "When people attack Gerard Depardieu in this way, they are attacking art."
"France owes him a lot. Cinema and theater cannot do without his unique and extraordinary personality," said the celebrities.
"No one will be able to erase the indelible mark of his work in our times."
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron claimed that Depardieu had become the target of "human persecution", while his family denounced an "unprecedented conspiracy" against him.
Human rights activists have denounced Macron's comments as an "insult" to all women who have suffered sexual violence.
Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak said the actor could be stripped of the Legion of Honor, the country's highest award.
Depardieu has created a series of scandals over the years, including public fights, drunk driving and urinating in the cabin of a commercial airliner.
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