Actor Gerard Depardieu’s figure removed from Paris wax museum after allegations

The wax figure of actor Gerard Depardieu has been removed from Paris’ most famous wax museum, after negative reactions from visitors over allegations about his conduct with women, the museum said on Monday.

The decision to remove the figure from the Grevin Museum followed a recent report about him on French television that has dented his reputation in France and around the world.

The France 2 documentary showed him repeatedly making obscene remarks and gestures during a 2018 trip to North Korea.

Depardieu has also been under investigation for rape since 2020. He denies all charges.

Depardieu, 74, has starred in hundreds of movies over more than half a century, including French classics like The Last Metro, Jean De Florette and Cyrano de Bergerac, and English-language movies including Green Card and Life Of Pi.

It coincides with France’s culture minister announcing a disciplinary procedure concerning Depardieu’s prestigious Order of the Legion of Honour, which could lead to its withdrawal.

Depardieu, through his lawyers, said he was relinquishing the honour. The actor has already been stripped of honours in Canada and Belgium.

Depardieu’s family has condemned what they say is a conspiracy against him, expressing their disapproval of the “collective rage” aimed at him in a statement published in French media.