Goodbye France: Russia Grants Gerard Depardieu Citizenship

Gerard Depardieu is following through on his vow to distance himself from his home country of France. Months after he moved to avoid the Socialist government’s ridiculous new 75% tax on the country’s highest earners, the actor applied for and was granted Russian citizenship by Vladimir Putin himself in an announcement made earlier this week.

Far from a random outsider, Depardieu has spent plenty of time in Russia over the past few years. He recently played Rasputin in a local film, is currently appearing in several commercials and has done charity work to raise money for causes in St. Petersburg on several occasions.

According to BBC, Russia taxes all citizens at thirteen percent of their income. That’s obviously only a fraction of what Depardieu would have paid in France, but if you take it from the aging star, this is about far more than money. Over the last forty-five-years, he put over one hundred and ninety million dollars back into the system in the form of taxes, and when he spoke up and complained about the new laws and said he would move, the powers that be called him “pathetic”.

Because of his popularity in Russia and the friendly relationship he shares with Putin, his new country was a natural choice. It’s unclear when the paperwork might go through and Depardieu might formally renounce his French citizenship, but when that happens, we’ll let you know.