Gerard Depardieu speaks out, maintains innocence after being charged for rape and sexual assault

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French actor Gerard Depardieu is speaking out after the public learned he was charged in December with rape and sexual assault in a 2018 case that was revived by authorities. 

Depardieu, 72, was handed the preliminary charges on Dec. 16 but was not detained at the time. The prosecutor’s office addressed the charges on Tuesday after the update on the case was leaked to French media. 

The actor’s lawyer Hervé Temime issued a statement to Fox News addressing the charges in which he maintained his client's innocence in the matter. 

"Mr. Depardieu was indicted in December 2020, an information that had remained secret since then, in accordance with French law," the statement read. "This information became public yesterday, which is regrettable. An investigating judge is in charge of this file."

FRENCH ACTOR GERARD DEPARDIEU CHARGED WITH ALLEGED RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT FROM 2018 CASE

Temime added: "Mr. Depardieu is and remains presumed innocent. He strongly contests the accusations against him. The investigation must continue in calm, secrecy and respect for Mr. Depardieu’s presumption of innocence."

French actor Gerard Depardieu spoke out after it became public knowledge that he was charged with rape and sexual assault. (AP)

French media reports said the charges relate to allegations made by an actress in her 20s that date back to 2018. An initial inquiry against the star was dropped in 2019 because of lack of evidence but was later revived.

FRENCH ACTOR GERARD DEPARDIEU ACCUSED OF RAPE

French newspaper Le Parisien and broadcaster BFM TV said the woman alleged that Depardieu assaulted her on Aug. 7 and Aug. 13, 2018, at his home in Paris. The two met when Depardieu led a master class at her school, BFM TV reported.

The actress, who has not been named, first filed a complaint with details of alleged rape and assault in August 2018 in the southern French city of Aix-en-Provence. The probe was taken over by Paris investigators but was soon dropped.

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Depardieu is one of France’s most prolific actors and among the few who has ventured outside French cinema and made a name for themselves in Hollywood. He won a Golden Globe for his performance in "Green Card," a 1990 English-language romantic comedy co-starring Andie MacDowell.

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Before crossing the Atlantic to star in "Green Card," Depardieu played an array of roles, ranging from Jean Valjean, the thief-turned-saint in "Les Miserables," to Christopher Columbus. He has appeared in roughly 200 films over six decades.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.