“I can’t speak, I’m in the hospital”: Gérard Depardieu accused of assault by the “king of the paparazzi” Rino Barillari

Rino Barillari, nicknamed the "king of the paparazzi", accuses the French star Gérard Depardieu of having physically assaulted him this Tuesday, May 21, 2024. The facts allegedly occurred on via Veneto, birthplace of La Dolce Vita in the heart of Rome, Italian media reported.

"Mamma mia, how big is he. He punched me three times in the face. The scene took place at Harry’s bar, one of the most popular establishments ran from via Veneto, around 2 p.m.

The attempt to photograph him degenerates

"I saw him via Veneto with a woman. I approached to take some photos", said the 79-year-old photographer, quoted by the Roman daily Messaggero.

According to his account, it was first of all the woman accompanying the actor who tried to block him, then it was Mr. Depardieu himself who intervened and gave him three punches to the face.

The photographer was rescued by the owner of the establishment. Taken to hospital, the photographer, contacted by telephone late in the afternoon by AFP, was in a state of shock: " I can't talk, I'm in the hospital, he said before hanging up.

I go to the hospital first, but then I take care of him. I am filing a complaint against him with the carabinieri.

According to Messaggero, who managed to question him before his hospitalization, the photographer plans to file a complaint: "I'm going to the hospital first, but then I take care of him. I am filing a complaint against him with the carabinieri, he declared to the newspaper.

"When I photographed them at their table, obviously in secret, I couldn’imagine how it would have ended", he said. "Mamma mia, how big is he. He punched me three times in the face".

The "king of the paparazzi"

Rino Barillari, who began his career very young, experienced the golden age of La Dolce Vita in Rome, where he photographed celebrities like Liz Taylor, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Kennedy, Barbra Streisand, Brigitte Bardot, Ava Gardner, Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, Marcello Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale and Vittorio Gassmann.

At 75, Gérard Depardieu, sacred monster of French cinema, sees his star fading. He is due to be tried in October in Paris for sexual assault on two women during filming in 2021.

He has also been indicted since 2020 for rape and sexual assault on a young actress, Charlotte Arnould. Several other complaints have been filed against the star, who denies the charges against him.