PARIS (AP) 鈥 The wax figure of actor Gerard Depardieu has been removed from Paris' most famous wax museum, following negative reactions from visitors over allegations about his conduct with women, the museum said Monday.
The decision to remove the figure from the Grevin Museum, the so-called 鈥淧antheon of wax celebrities,鈥 followed a recent report on the actor 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 鈥淭he Last Metro,鈥 鈥淛ean de Florette鈥 and 鈥淐yrano de Bergerac," and English-language movies including 鈥淕reen Card鈥 and 鈥淟ife of Pi.鈥
This waxwork's disappearance coincides with France鈥檚 culture minister announcing a disciplinary procedure concerning Depardieu's prestigious Order of the Legion of Honor, which could lead to its withdrawal. In response, Depardieu, through his lawyers, said he was relinquishing the honor. The actor has already been stripped of honors in Canada and Belgium.
Depardieu鈥檚 family has condemned what they say is a conspiracy against him, expressing their disapproval of the 鈥渃ollective rage鈥 aimed at the actor in a statement published in French media.
