“He punched me”

Rino Barillari was attacked by Gérard Depardieu in the early afternoon today, Tuesday 21 May around theHarry’s Bar in via Veneto. The episode was told by the photojournalist who then went to the emergency room to be treated.

The attack outside Harry’s bar in Rome

The facts happened around 2pm outside the restaurant located in via Veneto, the street of the Dolce Vita. Gérard Depardieu was having lunch with his partner and other friends at the outdoor tables of the historic bar in the city of Rome. At that moment, the photojournalist Rino Barillari was also present on site and took out his camera to immortalize the diners.

Then the argument. There partner of the French actor tried to block the 79-year-old photographer: first he grabbed his arm and kicked him several times while he tried to free himself. Suddenly the French actor also intervened and first threw ice at him and then attacked Barillari. Three punches to the face and the photojournalist was thrown to the ground. After the fight he was helped by the owner of the place, Piero Lepore, the first to call for help. He is now in hospital undergoing treatment.

Barillari: “Depardieu punched me”

“Gérard Depardieu punched me three times in the face. I’m no longer 15, I’m 79. But now it’s his business… because I think I broke something and then I report it to the police“. This is what Rino Barillari told theAdnkronos the attack suffered by the French actor in the early afternoon in via Veneto. “I secretly photographed him together with a beautiful girl. She noticed it and they threw some ice at me. Then she came out, I took a step back and smiled at her – said Barillari – but then it was he arrived… how big he is, I didn’t have time to understand what was happening before he punched me three times in the face”, concluded the photojournalist.