Putin Makes Gerard Depardieu a Russian as Star Flees French Taxes

Gerard Depardieu, French socialist, Vladimir Putin, Russian Citizenship, Belgium.

Gerard Depardieu and Russian President Vladimir Putin pictured in St. Petersburg in 2010.

France’s most famous movie star, Gerard Depardieu, is giving a big “F*ck You!” to France’s new Socialist goverment’s plans to tax earnings of $1.3 million-plus at a rate of 75 percent.

But the Green Card star isn’t going to be tanning his beautiful man breasts in a tax haven Caribbean island like a normal person. He’s instead being welcomed by the “Democratically” elected leader of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

Depardieu recently became a citizen of Belgium, a slightly lower-taxed nation, which has been the source of controversy in his homeland.

Gerard Depardieu, French socialist, Vladimir Putin, Russian Citizenship, Belgium.

Putin out-and-about hunting bears, probably.

But now, in an eff-you to arch enemy French President Francois Hollande — and on a slow day with no bears to be killed — President Putin has signed a decree making the Jean De Florette actor a Russian national.

Dmitri Peskov, a spokesman for the bear killer, is reported by the New York Times as saying:

The thing is that Depardieu has been a part of large film projects and has acted many parts, including the part of Rasputin. This film has not been shown here, but it is a very bold and innovative interpretation of the character.

Gerard Depardieu as Russian monk “Rasputin”.

Depardieu sent a letter to a Russian news channel, which read in part:

I adore your country, Russia, your people, your history and your writers, I love your president, Vladimir Putin, very much and it’s mutual.

In a shocking bit of hypocrisy, Depardieu goes on to state that his father was a communist and loved Moscow radio. Wait … don’t communists enjoy paying taxes?

So if Depardieu decides to move to Moscow, he would be removed from the massive French taxes. Currently in Belgium he pays a still huge 60 percent income tax; in Russia it would be a mere 13 percent on income.

The French A-Lister should be sitting pretty drinking vodka and hunting bears with Putin.