A sequence broadcast in the magazine “Complément d’investigation” on December 7 devoted to Gérard Depardieu is at the heart of a real controversy. So much so that France Télévisions called on a bailiff to certify that the images are “real” and that there was no misleading editing.
On December 7, France 2 broadcast an issue of “Additional investigation” dedicated to Gérard Depardieu. This report showing the 74-year-old actor during a stay in North Korea, today finds itself at the heart of a lively controversy, particularly because several public figures have defended the actor… and denounced the editing of the report which, according to them, would be misleading.
One sequence in particular, the one where Gérard Depardieu sexualizes a 10-year-old girl in a stud farm, was strongly singled out. “There are sometimes outbursts over comments made, I am wary of the context, I understood that there were controversies […] on the words that were out of step with the images.” declared in person, the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron.
It was then the turn of the actor’s daughter, Julie Depardieu to denounce : “a real staging, proceeding with cutaways which we know are necessarily suspect since we can edit them as we want.” Finally, Yann Moix, who made this documentary which was never broadcast, claims to be “99% sure that Gérard made these remarks about a rider who was not the little girl.”
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Additional Investigation: a bailiff gives his verdict on the controversial sequence
Faced with all these allegations, the France 2 channel hastened to appoint a bailiff, justice commissioner and hearing officer to the Council of State and the Court of Cassation. The latter then made an observation after viewing the images from the filming in Korea used in the controversial extract. “Usually, we do not show our rushes to anyone, not even to the courts, because this concerns the secrecy of the sources. But in this context of avalanche of fake news including theprogram ‘Complément d’investigation’ is a victim, we decided to exceptionally show them to a bailiff to attest to the rigor of our work”said Tristan Waleckx, the presenter of the show.
Thanks to the different cameras and therefore the different shooting angles, the bailiff attested that it was during the passage of the little girl on her pony that Gérard Depardieu made obscene remarks. “During this sequence, I notice that with the exception of the young girl, only male-looking riders enter the front of the cameras.” explains the expert. “Oh that’s good ma’am. If she ever gallops, she cums”Gérard Depardieu slips to his neighbor who is holding the camcorder before adding: “If he makes her gallop, she gets wet, she comes.”, all right at the moment when the little girl passes on horseback in front of them.
According to Damien Fleurette, director of the documentary “This is the only time in 18 hours of rushes where we noted that the word ‘girl’ was uttered. There is no ambiguity about the fact that he is sexualizing this little girl.”
In a press release, France Télévisions specifies : “The ‘Complément d’investigation’ report on Gérard Depardieu was carried out with the greatest respect for ethical rules […] and there is no doubt and no ambiguity about the fact that it is indeed the young girl in the image who is targeted by Gérard Depardieu’s comments.