In a dramatic turn of events, Gérard Depardieu has dropped his lawsuit against "Complément d'enquête," which he accused of "illegal editing."

It's a dramatic turn of events! Gérard Depardieu has finally abandoned the...the legal proceedings he had initiated against France Télévisions, the show Complément d'enquête and the Hikari company in the so-called case of "illegal assembly"This withdrawal, announced this Friday, puts an end to a long legal battle that arose from the broadcast, in December 2023, of footage filmed during a trip to North Korea.

A withdrawal that puts an end to more than two years of standoff

With this decision, the actor is giving up on seeking to have the authors and broadcasters of the report convicted on the grounds of alleged "illegal assembly"This withdrawal concludes a particularly sensitive procedure, which over the months has become a symbol of the tensions between defending the public image and freedom of information.

At the heart of the dispute was a scene broadcast in the issue of Complément d'enquête dedicated to Gérard Depardieu, on December 7, 2023. The actor was heard making sexually suggestive remarks while a little girl on horseback appeared on screen, at a stud farm in North Korea, during a trip made in 2018.

After the broadcast, Gérard Depardieu and his entourage claimed that the segment had been misleadingly presented. According to them, the comments heard were not directed at the child visible on screen. This line of defense formed the core of the legal action brought against the program and its producers.

France Télévisions never gave in.

For its part, France Télévisions has always rejected any suggestion of manipulation. As early as December 2023, the public broadcaster argued that a bailiff had authenticated the disputed footage. For the broadcaster, the issue went beyond the Depardieu case alone: ​​it was also about defending the methodology and credibility of journalistic work.

The case then took on a broader dimension. In October 2024, the Paris Court of Appeal ordered an expert to examine the raw footage to determine whether the edited scene accurately reflected the original images. The dispute was no longer merely a media issue; it became a legal test of the limits of editing in an investigative program.

No judgment on the merits, but the case is closed.

By withdrawing, Gérard Depardieu puts an end to this procedure without a judgment definitively settling the question of "illegal assembly"In other words, the courts will not determine in this case whether the accusation was founded or not. But symbolically, this withdrawal brings to a close a highly publicized confrontation between a prominent figure in French cinema and public broadcasting.

This withdrawal marks the end of a sensational legal and media saga. For over two years, the case fueled debates, controversies, and strong opinions in the cultural, political, and media spheres. By turning the page, Gérard Depardieu is putting an end to a legal battle that had ultimately transcended the scope of a simple television dispute.