PARIS • Prosecutors probing French star Gerard Depardieu over allegations that he raped a 22-year-old actress have closed the case due to lack of evidence, the Paris prosecutor's office said on Tuesday.

"A number of investigations undertaken as part of this procedure have not enabled us to characterise the crimes alleged in all of their individual parts," the prosecutor's office noted.

Depardieu, star of The Last Metro (1980) and the Asterix and Obelix films, was accused of raping and assaulting the actress at his mansion in the French capital's chic 6th district between Aug 7 and 13 last year.

The allegations came in the wake of scandals involving prominent men following rape and assault claims levelled against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and the #MeToo movement which spread worldwide.

Depardieu, 70, who had always maintained his innocence, has starred in some 170 movies.

He gained international recognition in 1990 with his starring role in English-language comedy Green Card.

In February, French prosecutors also dropped their investigation into rape allegations against film director Luc Besson.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE