The paparazzi are rarely appreciated by stars and their meetings can sometimes end in fights. In any case, this is what Rino Barillari, who filed a complaint against Gérard Depardieu, says.
The one nicknamed the “king” of the paparazzi photographed, on Tuesday, the actor of Waltzes on the terrace of Harry’s Bar in Rome. The establishment was made famous by The good life, by Federico Fellini, but, unlike the 1960 film, it was not in the Treviso Fountain that this continued. According to the 79-year-old photographer, Magda Vavrusova, “the companion” of Gérard Depardieu, he would have jumped on before hitting him. It was then that the actor would have gotten involved.
The owner of Harry’s Bar, Piero Lepore, told CNN that an altercation had indeed taken place on the terrace of his establishment, but without specifying the circumstances. According to him, it is the first time “in two decades” that an altercation has occurred between a star and a photographer. “We’re used to celebrities and paparazzi – they can’t survive without each other, but we’re not used to these fights anymore,” he added, adding that he had had to make a statement and that Rino Barillari had left by ambulance.
No cinema
Police also confirmed that a “local photographer” had filed a complaint, without specifying his name. Magda Vavrusova’s lawyer, Delphine Meillet, announced that her client had also filed a complaint. According to her, it was the paparazzo who “pushed” her. She was also taken to hospital and says she “still feels pain” following the fight.
To determine the exact circumstances, law enforcement relies on video surveillance cameras. These should also be the only cameras in front of which Gérard Depardieu can be seen for a certain time. Announced on the poster of the action film Travel Agents by Juergen Pichler, this will not be the case, according to the agent of the interpreter of Cyrano de Bergerac. Bertrand de Labbay in fact sent a denial to several media. The filmmaker and musician, nicknamed Trickster, or crook in French, had nevertheless “welcomed to this project” to Gérard Depardieu, during an interview with PR Newswire, which also relayed remarks attributed to the actor claiming to have “looking forward” to “getting back to work”.
Gérard Depardieu must be tried in October for sexual assault on two women. Four other complaints were filed against him, including one dismissed, and he has been indicted since 2020 for “rape” and “sexual assault”. The actor denied the accusations against him in an article published by Le Figaro in October 2023, claiming to have “never abused a woman”.