Roberto Alagna has released a statement after his name appeared in an open letter alongside 50 actors in support of Gérard Depardieu.

The tenor took to social media and said, “Was I set up? I was in New York when I was contacted about a petition denouncing the media lynching of a man, the censorship and total erasure of an artist, his history and his work. The request was urgent, and the petition had to be published in a hurry within hours. On the basis of this presentation alone, I agreed to support it, without having read the written version.”

He added, “Suspicious, I phoned Julie Depardieu to ask what was going on with this tribune. She immediately reassured me that the petition letter would certainly not be published. I made the mistake of no longer caring. I’ve always been against all forms of violence and aggression, by anyone and towards anyone. I also make a point of never passing judgment on my neighbours. I trust in justice, which alone must judge. I am always deeply saddened for those who are in turmoil, distress, pain and suffering unjustly. I hope that this new year will finally bring justice, peace and serenity to all. Roberto.”

On Dec. 25, Le Figaro published an open letter defending Depardieu following accusations of sexual assault. The letter said, “France owes him so much. Cinema and theatre cannot do without his unique and extraordinary personality” and “Nobody can erase the indelible imprint of his work on our times.” It added, “We can no longer remain silent in the face of the lynching he is facing” and added, that he is being attacked “in defiance of a presumption of innocence from which he would have benefited, like everyone else, if he weren’t the cinema giant he is.”

Alagna’s name appeared alongside such celebrities as Chiara Muti, Charlotte Rampling, Carla Bruni, and Emmanuelle Seigner, among others.

Gerard Depardieu was accused in April 2023 by 13 women of sexual assault and sexual harassment pertaining to incidents that occurred between 2004 and 2022.