Gérard Depardieu Found Guilty of Sexual Assault on Film Set
Paris - French cinema legend Gérard Depardieu, 76, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a Paris film set in 2021, receiving an 18-month suspended sentence. Depardieu had denied allegations of forcibly groping a set decorator and an assistant producer during the shooting of “Les Volets Verts” (“The Green Shutters”).
Absent from Tuesday’s verdict and sentencing proceedings, as he is currently filming in Portugal, Depardieu plans to contest the ruling, according to his lawyer.
The charges were brought by a 34-year-old set decorator and a 54-year-old assistant producer, both of whom alleged that Depardieu inappropriately touched them last August and September.
“I am deeply moved and very pleased with this outcome,” remarked the assistant producer, named Amélie in court, following the decision. “This feels like a victory and a significant step forward. Justice has been served.”
Depardieu, addressing the court for the first time in March, insisted that he did not match the description given by the accusers. “Why would I grope a woman, touching her buttocks or breasts? That is simply not my nature,” he declared, adding he wasn’t someone who inappropriately touches others, even in a crowded setting like the metro.
Initially, the accusations were not immediately reported to authorities. However, following Depardieu’s public denial of any abuse in a letter to Le Figaro in October 2023, the set decorator came forward to the police, accusing him of sexual assault and harassment.
The trial, which started in October, was postponed due to concerns about Depardieu’s health. His lawyer revealed the actor suffered from diabetes and had undergone a quadruple-bypass heart procedure.
Depardieu was eventually deemed fit for trial by medical professionals, limiting court sessions to six hours daily, with optional 15-minute breaks.
“Gérard Depardieu is a very outspoken individual,” said his attorney, Jérémie Assous, who dismissed the charges as “falsehoods.”
In March, crowds largely composed of women protested outside the courthouse, voicing complaints about constant sexism and the lack of accountability for sexual misconduct in both French cinema and society. They expressed satisfaction that Depardieu was finally confronting the accusations, brandishing placards reading: “We believe victims; we see offenders” and “Touch one, answer to all.”
Once celebrated, Depardieu’s reputation has been tainted by allegations from over a dozen women in the film industry. Many claims emerged years later, placing them beyond French legal statute limits.
In a controversial move, Depardieu left France for Belgium nearly a decade ago, opposing tax hikes. He has been noted for his strong admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who granted him Russian citizenship in 2013. More recently, Depardieu also obtained citizenship in Dubai.