Affairs Depardieu and Weinstein: the former agent of Stars Dominique Besnehard calls into question the behavior of actresses

The former agent of stars and producer Dominique Besnehard, creator of the series “Ten percent”, questioned on Thursday the behavior of actresses who accused Harvey Weinstein or Gérard Depardieu de rape, during a hearing hearing in the National Assembly.

The 71 -year -old man, in the profession for fifty years, claimed to belong “to the old world”, at the start of his hearing before the commission of inquiry into the violence committed in cinema. He was notably asked about the behavior of Gérard Depardieu, with whom he worked in the past, and in favor of which he signed a petition for support, “out of loyalty” for his daughter, Julie.

Dominique Besnehard replied by implicating actress Charlotte Arnould, who accuses Depardieu of having raped her at her home. The actor was indicted in this case and the prosecution requested a trial against him.

“Theater lessons, we do them in a theater lesson, we do not go to home with an actor”

“Generally, theater lessons, they are done in a theater class, we do not go to home with an actor,” said Dominique Besnehard about the supposed behavior of the complainant. As for Gérard Depardieu, he assumes his support for a man whom he saw “transforming himself”, and “to twist after the death of his son”, Guillaume, in 2008. The ex-agent said he no longer had contact with him, but recalls the “presumption of innocence”.

Again, he implicated the behavior of the complainants: “When I was an agent, I saw actresses a little exceeding the terminals. We don’t go to a hotel with a director. Excuse me, Weinstein who went to Cannes, some actresses went to his room to perhaps make an American career. I saw that! I even have actresses I took care of who went there! »»

“I do not believe that Isabelle Huppert, a young actress, goes to a hotel with a producer who has a bad reputation”

However, he praised the courage of other actresses who, according to him, refused these kinds of proposals: “I may be the person who knows the actresses best,” he added. “I don’t think Isabelle Huppert, a young actress, goes to a hotel with a producer who has a bad reputation, I’m sorry,” he said.

Despite everything, Dominique Besnehard praised “the #MeToo movement”: “It is important because now we can no longer say that we do not know”. He wanted to underline the courage of actress Noémie Kocher, who had accused, long before the vague #MeToo, filmmaker Jean-Claude Brisseau of sexual harassment. The latter was sentenced in 2005 and then died in 2019.

A lively exchange with Sandrine Rousseau

Resumed by the president of the commission of inquiry, the environmental deputy Sandrine Rousseau, Dominique Besnehard lost her calm, during one of the most eventful auditions since the creation of this body, who auditioned dozens of culture and cinema officials, and must make her report in a month.

“If it’s my trial, I size myself!” You stop moralizing everyone, it’s starting to do well! “He said to Sandrine Rousseau. He finally stayed for more than an hour, and could hear the deputy replied.

“Far from being morality as you have qualified, the question is how we enforce the law and the body of people. Lots of people have left the cinema because of that, the cinema has lost talents (…) because there has been a form of complacency, “she said. “You who say all the time that you are of the old time, I will conclude by saying to you: be that time, Mr. Besnehard, because we also need you. »»