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Gerard Depardieu will face a criminal trial later this year over the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a movie set in 2021, French prosecutors say.

French media had reported that the 75-year-old actor – who has denied any wrongdoing – had been questioned by police in Paris on Monday.

Depardieu’s lawyer Christian Saint-Palais later declined to comment to reporters other than to say that the actor was no longer in custody.

The Paris public prosecutor’s office said in a statement that the actor has been “summoned to appear before the criminal court” after the questioning.

It said the trial will start in October “for sexual assaults likely to have been committed in September 2021” against “two victims, on the set of the film The Green Shutters”.

In February, the French actor faced a complaint of sexual assault from a female movie decorator alleging he groped her during filming in 2021, kneading her waist, stomach, and breasts during filming for the movie Les Volets Verts, a title that translates to The Green Shutters in English.

Meanwhile, last year, a French site published claims from 13 other women who worked with Depardieu and said they had experienced inappropriate advances, groping and gestures.

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Depardieu was handed preliminary rape and sexual assault charges in 2020 following allegations from actress Charlotte Arnould.

In that case, the investigating judge completed his investigation on 17 April and transferred the file to the Paris public prosecutor’s office “to review and determine next steps in the proceeding,” according to the prosecutor’s office.

Gerard Depardieu. Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

In October last year, Depardieu wrote an open letter to Le Figaro – one of France’s best-known publications – to deny the claims of rape and sexual assault made against him.

In it, he said he had “never, ever abused a woman” and that “hurting a woman would be like kicking my own mother in the stomach”.

He has previously denied all the claims against him through a lawyer.

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A global ambassador for French film, Depardieu is among France‘s most famous stars, known for films such as Cyrano de Bergerac and Jean de Florette – as well as the Hollywood hits Green Card and The Man In The Iron Mask.

He has appeared in 200 films over six decades and is among a few French actors who have made a name for themselves in Hollywood.

This latest episode involving Depardieu comes as French cinema is rocked by a belated #MeToo awakening, following the 2017 global movement.

In February, French actress Judith Godreche made an impassioned speech during the Cesar Awards – which is France’s version of the Oscars – for the French film industry to “face the truth” on sexual violence and physical abuse.

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British Airways pulls Louis Theroux podcast funding over Bob Vylan interview

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British Airways pulls Louis Theroux podcast funding over Bob Vylan interview

British Airways (BA) has paused its sponsorship of The Louis Theroux Podcast following an interview with Bob Vylan’s frontman.

Pascal Robinson-Foster, one half of the controversial punk duo, told Theroux in an episode which aired earlier this week that he was “not regretful” of chanting “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]” at this year’s Glastonbury.

He added that he would “do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays”.

British Airways said on Saturday that the content “breaches” its sponsorship policy and has since paused its advertising on the podcast, the Jewish News first reported.

An airline spokesperson said: “Our sponsorship of the series has now been paused and the advert has been removed.

“We’re grateful that this was brought to our attention, as the content clearly breaches our sponsorship policy in relation to politically sensitive or controversial subject matters.

“We and our third-party media agency have processes in place to ensure these issues don’t occur and we’re investigating how this happened.”

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Bobby Vylan crowd surfs during his performance at Glastonbury Festival. Pic: PA
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Bobby Vylan crowd surfs during his performance at Glastonbury Festival. Pic: PA

Following Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury performance, the band were dropped by a number of festivals and performances including Radar festival, a show at a German music venue and their US tour after their visas were revoked.

The comments were condemned by the US as a “hateful tirade” and “appalling hate speech” by British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit has since found the broadcast of Bob Vylan’s set breached editorial standards related to harm and offence.

The band have also had to reschedule dates of its upcoming We Won’t Go Quietly UK tour in Manchester and Leeds after Jewish leaders and politicians called for the show to be postponed.

Theroux has not commented on BA pausing its sponsorship of his podcast. Pic: AP
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Theroux has not commented on BA pausing its sponsorship of his podcast. Pic: AP

In a statement on Facebook, the group said: “Due to political pressure from the likes of Bridget Phillipson and groups in the Northwest of England we have had to reschedule our Leeds and Manchester shows.

“All tickets remain valid and all other shows are continuing as planned.”

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Calls for Bob Vylan concert to be cancelled

When asked by Theroux, Vylan said he was taken aback by the uproar the chant has caused, saying: “It wasn’t like we came off stage, and everybody was like [gasps]. It’s just normal.”

He added that he wanted an end to “the oppression that Palestinian people are facing”.

Read more: Who are Bob Vylan?

Despite the criticism, the group have seen support from fans, with their album Humble As The Sun re-entering the charts and climbing to number one in the UK Hip Hop and R&B album category.

A spokesperson at Mindhouse Productions – which was founded by Theroux and produces The Louis Theroux Podcast – has not commented on the BA sponsorship, but told Sky News: “Louis is a journalist with a long history of speaking to controversial figures who may divide opinion.

“We would suggest people watch or listen to the interview in its entirety to get the full context of the conversation.”

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Rapper Ghetts charged after man killed in hit-and-run

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Rapper Ghetts charged after man killed in hit-and-run

The rapper Ghetts has been charged after a man was killed in a hit-and-run in northeast London.

The musician, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, was charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He allegedly failed to stop after hitting a 20-year-old man in Ilford last Saturday, the Met Police said.

The 41-year-old appeared at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on Monday – the same day the man died in hospital.

The indictment is expected to change from causing serious injury to causing death by dangerous driving at the next hearing.

Ghetts was remanded into custody and is due to appear at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on 27 October.

The police are appealing for witnesses to the crash to come forward.

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Ghetts is a grime rapper who played at Glastonbury last year and has collaborated with Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and Skepta.

He also had a role in the Netflix drama Supacell.

Last year, he received the Mobo Pioneer Award for his significant contribution to British black culture.

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‘People want you to stay in your lane’: Reese Witherspoon on her ‘deeply personal’ decision to write a novel

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'People want you to stay in your lane': Reese Witherspoon on her 'deeply personal' decision to write a novel

It is “pretty surreal”, Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon admits, finding herself at the top of The New York Times bestsellers list.

When I meet the actress alongside her co-writer, best-selling author Harlan Coben, overnight the pair have learned that their thriller is now at number one.

He jokes: “I was texting her last night and saying you’ll now have to call yourself number one bestselling novelist, forget about Oscar winner!”

Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben told Katie Spencer about their novel Gone Before Goodbye
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Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben told Katie Spencer about their novel Gone Before Goodbye

As one of the most successful authors in the world, Coben has sold over 80 million books to date, while for Witherspoon this is new ground.

Not content with running a hugely successful production company responsible for a string of hits, as well as one of the most successful book clubs in the world, she explains she felt compelled to give writing a try.

“People want you to stay in your lane… as a creative person I think it’s impossible to just choose one kind of life.

“Creativity is infinite and who I was as a creative person when I was 20 is very different from the person I am now at 49.”

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Gone Before Goodbye, a thriller about a talented surgeon who finds herself caught up in a deadly conspiracy, is the result of Witherspoon daring to put her head above the parapet.

Witherspoon says she felt compelled to give writing a try
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Witherspoon says she felt compelled to give writing a try

Coben admits he was “a little wary” at first.

“I don’t co-write novels but when she made the pitch and started talking about it, I was like ‘dang that’s good, we can do something with that’.”

While countless celebrities work with ghostwriters, Coben says: “I said to her from day one ‘it’s only going to be you and me in here… no third person in here, I don’t do that’. So every word you [read] comes from Reese and me.”

Coben has sold over 80 million books to date, while for Witherspoon this is new ground
Image:
Coben has sold over 80 million books to date, while for Witherspoon this is new ground

Witherspoon explains: “He was like ‘if we’re going to do this, it’s going to have to be at a really high level because people going to expect a lot, so our bar was really high.”

“I said to her, in the beginning, novels are like a sausage,” Coben laughs. “You might like the final taste, but you don’t want to see how it was made and Reese got to see the full sausage getting made here.”

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When it came to writing, Coben says they “fell into a rhythm right away”, working together in three-hour stints, “back and forth with a yellow legal pad – what about this? What about that?”

Coben says they 'fell into a rhythm right away'
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Coben says they ‘fell into a rhythm right away’

Witherspoon says it “feels really deeply personal” to have their work now in print.

“Usually, as an actor, I walk into other people’s worlds and it’s already set up… but this was creating the whole world with Harlan and just from beginning to end feels very personal.”

While the story seems an obvious fit for being adapted to the screen, perhaps with a certain blonde actress in the leading role, Coben says that was never their intention.

“The biggest, biggest mistake novelists make when you write a book is to say ‘this would make a really great movie’. A book is a book, a movie is a movie, and we both focused on wanting this to be just a great reading experience.”

Given that their collaboration is already selling in big numbers, will the pair team up again to write a second?

Witherspoon says: “Let’s just see what people think of this one first.”

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