Back in November, guy who was once considered a sex symbol, Gerard Depardieu, was arrested in France after he fell off of his scooter and registered a blood alcohol level of .18. At least I assume that it was .18 and not 1.8 as the Hollywood Reporter suggested, because that would mean that he’s probably a walking booze zombie. But maybe he really did blow a 1.8 and change the way we look at medical science forever.
Either way, Depardieu was fined roughly $5,290 and had his license suspended for six months by a French court, so the other drunk drivers of France won’t have to deal with such a menace on their roads.
Though Depardieu could have faced up to two years in prison, prosecutors had requested a license suspension of ten months and the fine.
Today’s decision ends a drawn-out court process that has seen three postponements already, but despite the many delays Depardieu still did not attend. “It’s always frustrating when a defendant who contests the facts is not there to be questioned directly,” said prosecutor Aurelia Devos. (Via THR)
Depardieu is currently in his new homeland of Chechnya filming the art heist film Turquoise with Elizabeth Hurley, and I think I speak for everyone when I ask – no sex scenes, please?
As for this hammer of Thor-esque punishment, Depardieu doesn’t live in France anymore – he’s a citizen of Russia now – so it’s not clear if he plans to take it seriously or not. After all, he moved from a country that suspends a guy’s license for driving with a BAC three-times the legal limit to one that will probably give him a medal of honor.
And it’s not entirely relevant, but I still love this interview with Depardieu from the Graham Norton Show.
(Banner via cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com)