The Order of the Legion of Honor will remain in the hands of Gerard Depardieu – Rossiyskaya Gazeta

“I hate the witch hunt in which everyone attacks one person based on a single television report,” he said, adding that the Legion of Honor was not created to give “moral lessons.” Macron believes that if that position is taken, then this award “would have to be deprived of many artists and actors against whom shocking statements were made.” In his opinion, there are judicial procedures and only they can lead to certain decisions.

At the same time, the head of the Fifth Republic praised Gerard Depardieu and called himself a great admirer of his talent. “He is a brilliant actor, a genius of his profession, who made great French writers and other outstanding compatriots of ours famous throughout the world.” And he summed it up: “Depardieu is the pride of France.”

The trigger for the aggressive campaign against Dedé, as the actor’s friends call him, was a video on one of the local television channels, in which several supporting, if not secondary, actresses filed complaints against the actor, accusing him of harassment. Furthermore, not a single claim has yet received judicial continuation. Based on this story, the current head of the French Ministry of Culture, Rima Abdul-Malak, publicly stated on television that Depardieu was “a shame for the country.” And she then announced the intention of the Council of the Legion of Honor to initiate proceedings to possibly deprive the actor of France’s highest award. Apparently, the minister did not discuss this management with the president. And she paid. After paying tribute to Depardieu, Macron rebuked the jealous lady in an interview. Like, “I indulged a lot.”