Two of France’s most famous actresses are in a war of words over President François Hollande’s affair with Julie Gayet after former Bond Girl Sophie Marceau called him a “jerk” and a “coward.”
The doyenne of French cinema Catherine Deneuve has come to Hollande’s defense after Marceau, who starred in “The World Is Not Enough” with Pierce Brosnan, blasted the French president for publicly cheating on his former partner Valerie Trierweiler with actress Gayet, the Independent reports.
Marceau, 47, told GQ France, “A man who behaves like that with women is a jerk … To cheat on your partner for a year and a half when you are President of the Republic! No one is asking him to be abstinent but he could leave it alone for a while. I said to myself: ‘What a coward.'”
Deneuve, 70, one of the most beautiful women in the world, who has starred in over 70 films including the steamy “Belle de Jour,” and, “Manon 70”, responded, “I find that very rude, extremely rude,” she said. “I am astonished at the casual way in which people, including journalists, speak about the President of the Republic.”
Deneuve, whose romantic affairs famously and reportedly range from photographer David Bailey to Clint Eastwood, added, “A ‘jerk’ and a ‘coward’! You’d think she was talking about her best friend’s husband. It’s incredible. I wouldn’t talk about the President like that. Whether I supported him or not.”
Closer magazine revealed in January that Hollande was having an affair with the actress Julie Gayet, visiting her Paris home wearing a motorcycle helmet for disguise. He has since split with his longtime partner, and former first lady Trierweiller.
His cheating revelations and embarrassing split came just before a White House State Dinner held in Hollande’s honor – and for which the invitations listing Trierweiler’s name had already been sent out to dignitaries. After speculation that he might bring Gayet, Hollande attended alone.