In an interview published by L’Obs (interview carried out two weeks before the invasion of Ukraine by Russia), Gérard Depardieu revealed that he was now a Russian and Dubai citizen, and wanted to live less and less in France.
“Even if I still have French nationality and a French passport, I am now a Russian and Dubai citizen. But my life most often takes place in the Mediterranean,” added the man who calls himself the proud owner of two big game fishing boats, “one in Dubai, the other, which was used for tuna fishing and in which I had an apartment fitted out, in Istanbul. I furrow, I drift, it suits me very well…”, he explains.
Gérard Depardieu, who took Russian nationality in 2013, claims to only return to France “to shoot”. “France, I will always be there to shoot, but less and less to live there. I am also going to put my Parisian hotel and my vines up for sale. (…) I wouldn’t say that fame, which I don’t give a damn about, shoots me, let’s say that it serves me. In France. Because abroad, on the contrary, it helps me to have deep and real relationships. Over there, it’s the others who interest me, it’s not me, ”said the one who also sees financial advantages in it.
“I’m going to play the show in April at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, but after that I’ll only present it abroad. In France, you sing twenty songs, and the taxman takes fourteen of them. You are paid on six!”, always complains in L’Obs the one who embodies Commissioner Maigret in the film by Patrice Leconte released on February 23.
Putin’s “friend”
On January 7, 2013 Gérard Depardieu obtained Russian citizenship by decision of Vladimir Poutine. The actor had thanked him for this gesture in a letter where he expressed his love for Russia, which he considered to be “a great democracy”, praise which had attracted many criticisms.
Gérard Depardieu, also indicted for rape and sexual assault since December 16, 2020, had also created controversy by being close to the Chechen official Ramzan Kadyrov, accused of multiple abuses.
In mid-February, Gérard Depardieu had posted on Instagram a snapshot of him kissing the Russian president with the caption: “friendship”. “Leave Vladimir alone. Either way, we don’t know what’s going on. And then Ukraine has always been a problem with Russia, ”he also said during his recent appearance on the Daily show. While the actor has not, as of this writing, commented on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, observers have noted that the ‘friendship’ photo has since disappeared from the Instagram account. of the actor.
Macha Meril’s tackle
Guest of RMC’s Matinale weekend, actress Macha Méril, from a Russian family who lived in Ukraine, revolted against the war in Ukraine as well as against the behavior of Gérard Depardieu whom she considers too complacent. to Russian power.
“Depardieu, let him get away with it! I hope he will realize. In addition, he is in France. He may say he loves Russia, it’s here that he works, it’s here that he eats cheese and red wine. Don’t let him bother us! Because they don’t know how much the Russians are drooling over. (…) “Nobody knows about it in Russia. There is colossal misinformation in Russia. »
Having had contact with relatives in Russia, she explains: “we don’t tell them that it’s a war, we tell them that we are getting rid of extremist elements in Ukraine. There is information work to be done. Facebook is closed. They are very strong. The majority of the Russian population is not informed when they are not told ‘fake-news’”, added the actress.