Gerard Depardieu is officially a Russian citizen. President Vladimir Putin signed the decree granting the famous French actor Russian citizenship.
„Vladimir Putin signed the decree granting Russian citizenship to Frenchman Gerard Depardieu”, an official press statement release Thursday by the Kremlin shows.
Depardieu announced publically that he no longer wished to stay in France, because of the 75% tax for the rich that president Francois Hollande wanted to set.
The actor, aged 64, did not changed his mind after The Constitutional Court in France rejected the tax saying he intended to mover over in Belgium
As a proof that he wanted to emigrate, Depardieu already bought a house in Belgium, in a rural area.
In a press conference at the end of the year, Vladimir Putin stated he was ready to grant Russian citizenship to Depardieu, whom he called "a businessman and a friend", if he should choose to, AFP writes.
Gerard Depardieu is a frequent guest of film festivals in Moscow and he frequently participates in events along celebrities from Russia.