Gerard Depardieu Under Investigation for Fiscal Fraud in France While Awaiting Postponed Sexual Assault Trial

variety.com:

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent French actor Gerard Depardieu, who is already indicted on rape and sexual assault charges, is now being investigated for aggravated fiscal fraud in France, according to a report published in French investigative outlet Mediapart.

In December 2012, Depardieu announced he was abandoning his French citizenship and moving to Belgium shortly after then-president Francois Hollande vowed to impose a 75% tax on income above €1 million a year.

He obtained citizenships in Russia and Belgium, where he bought a villa for €1.2 million located near the French border. At the time, in an op-ed published in the French magazine Le Journal du Dimanche, Depardieu said he didn’t have to justify the “numerous and intimate” reasons behind his choice. “I’m leaving, after having paid in 2012 85% of taxes on my revenues,” he wrote. “But I keep the spirit of this France, which used to be beautiful and I hope will remain so.” But a year ago, France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) launched a preliminary investigation into Depardieu, accusing him of having falsely established his primary residence in Belgium in order to avoid France’s high taxes and continuing to live in France, according to Mediapart, which cited legal documents.

The publication also reports that the villa that Depardieu bought in 2013 has been converted into a bed and breakfast where the actor has rarely been seen.