Complicated passage in France for Robert De Niro
In the late 90s, Robert De Niro is a huge star. He started this decade with the masterpiece free yourself by his friend and fetish director Martin Scorsese, and very good Raw nerves by the same director. Also in this period he made his first feature film: Once upon a time in the Bronxreleased in 1993. In 1995, again with Martin Scorsese for the monumental Casino and historian face-to-face with Al Pacino in Heat by Michael Mann. He then toured with James Mangold (copland) and Quentin Tarantino (Jackie Brown) in 1997. Then, in 1998, he arrived in France to shoot the action-espionage thriller ronin by John Frankenheimer, especially next to Jean Reno.
And it is precisely during these shoots that, as a living legend of cinema that he is, he will find himself dealing with french police…
Actor arrested for pimping
On February 10, 1998, around 9 in the morning, while recovering from a night of filming the film ronin, Robert De Niro is dragged from his bed at the Bristol Hotel by six policemen. These are mandated by Judge N’Guyen, who has been investigating since 1996 a large network of luxury prostitution. Problem, the police had already shown up on Friday 6 February. But the actor had left the day before for 4 days in the United States. Free to come and go, he doesn’t suspect that this first failed “arrest” will turn him into the spotlight, thus making him pass for a fugitive.
Knowing that the press is running fast, while Robert De Niro is in the United States, he telephones his French lawyer who writes to Judge N’Guyen. A meeting with the judge is possible, but three conditions. First, an interpreter will be provided for Robert De Niro. Then, that we respect our work schedule and the constraints of shooting at night. Finally, that the process is as discreet as possible. But the judge does not answer. Back in France on Monday, Robert de Niro takes over the night shoot and returns to the Bristol on Tuesday morning. Thus, when the police ring the bell of his apartment in the Parisian building, Robert De Niro is furious. She said it inside the pages of the newspaper Le Monde of February 25, 1998 :
I was beside myself. They had no right to come like this. My wife, who is pregnant, had just returned to New York, I had spent the weekend in Cleveland with my mother having heart surgery. (…) I thought I was going crazy. I told him to go fuck himself. I asked who was the boss and locked myself in with him to make the phone. I was fucking crazy. I called my attorney, the US ambassador. Finally, after an hour, we still couldn’t find the judge. I tell the superintendent I’d like to get some sleep. How long would they need me? One or two hours at most. I go back to bed and after just an hour they come back: ‘The judge doesn’t wait, he wants to see you right away. ‘I shave, take a shower and off we go.
Listened for nine hours
Brought before Judge N’Guyen, the announced “two hours maximum” turned into nine o’clock for Robert DeNiro. Already furious at being brought into this condition, the actor of wild bull does not understand the implacability and the same questions repeated several times by the judge, being here on his own initiative and above all as a witness. He still says:
The judge also made films. He tells me about these girls, 99% of whom are not professionals, etc. And I: “Sure, but what does that have to do with me?” And again the same questions: “Do you know them? Did you make love with them?”, etc. And of course: “Did you pay them?” And I: “no, I swear on my children’s heads, I never paid, not even a damn penny.” From two hours we had gone to nine hours of interrogation. Trying to get involved in other people’s problems. It really is an abuse of power. (…)
I don’t blame the system. Judges have a lot of power, why not? But this judge abuses it. I don’t know what his problem is, but he really has one. He talks about the rich and famous, he’s obsessed with them and sees himself as the savior of abused girls. Even the police seemed embarrassed by his manner.
Complaint against the judge and fury against France
After nine hours of an interrogation he has no intention of forgetting, Robert De Niro returns to the set of ronin, at the Zénith de Paris, to continue filming the final sequence. If this hearing will be the only one and that ultimately he will no longer be solicited by justice in the context of this investigation, the plaintiff with his lawyer Me Kiejman files a complaint against Judge N’Guyen for “obstruction of the freedom to come and go and violation of the secrecy of educationAnd, still angry when he met the journalist of Le Monde, Robert De Niro said he was very upset against France:
I will never go back to France. I will advise my friends not to come to France. The Cannes Film Festival, I don’t give a damn. And your Legion of Honor will be sent back to you at the Embassy, quickly. I see no reason to keep this sort of thing from a country that scoffs at its motto, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.” I’m way beyond what’s called furious!
Fortunately, both at the Cannes Film Festival and elsewhere, the actor has finally returned to France, and also presided over the jury of the prestigious festival in 2011.
Source: Cine Serie
Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.
