Sexual harassment trial Everything is at stake for Gérard Depardieu in court today
Gérard Depardieu is on trial for the first time on suspicion of sexual assault.
Image: Marcus Brandt/dpa
The French actor Depardieu denies the allegations.
Image: dpa
Gérard Depardieu is on trial for the first time on suspicion of sexual assault.
Image: Marcus Brandt/dpa
The French actor Depardieu denies the allegations.
Image: dpa
Gérard Depardieu is on trial for the first time on suspicion of sexual assault. The French actor could face several years in prison.
28.10.2024, 06:55
28.10.2024, 06:58
dpa
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- It is the deep fall of a once celebrated film star. The first trial against Gérard Depardieu begins today, Monday at 1.30 pm in Paris.
- The 75-year-old is accused of sexually harassing two women during the shooting of the 2021 film "Les Volets Verts".
- If Depardieu is found guilty, the actor could face a sentence of up to five years in prison and an additional fine of 75,000 euros, according to the Paris public prosecutor's office. And thus probably the final end to his career as an actor.
Actor Gérard Depardieu has been accused of sexual assault for years. Now the French film icon is on trial for the first time. Two women are accusing him of groping them in 2021 during the filming of Jean Becker's movie "Les volets verts" (The Green Shutters).
If he is found guilty, the actor could face a sentence of up to five years in prison and an additional fine of 75,000 euros, according to the Paris public prosecutor's office. And thus probably the final end to his career.
Depardieu ("Cyrano of Bergerac", "Asterix and Obelix") is to be present at the trial. His new lawyer, Jérémie Assous, told the radio station France Info that the actor intends to appear in court.
He wanted to prove that he was "merely the target of false accusations". He went on to explain that the plaintiffs wanted to enrich themselves by claiming between 6,000 and 30,000 euros in compensation.
Complaint of sexual assault
According to information from the Paris public prosecutor's office, one of the two plaintiffs, a decorator, accused the actor of pulling her towards him when he was sitting in a corridor and she walked past him. He allegedly pinned her with his legs and touched her buttocks, her sex and her breast over her clothes.
He is said to have accompanied his gestures with obscene remarks. In February, she filed a complaint against him for sexual assault, sexual harassment and sexist insults.
According to the public prosecutor's office, the second woman, an assistant to the director, stated that Depardieu allegedly touched her breasts and buttocks on set. He had previously allegedly harassed her on the street. She filed a lawsuit in March 2024.
Further allegations of abuse against him
For years, more and more women have been coming forward to accuse the award-winning actor of sexual assault. In 2018, actress Charlotte Arnould sued him.
The case has been under investigation since 2020. He is alleged to have assaulted Arnould twice. Gérard Depardieu could face the next trial in this case.
The online newspaper "Mediapart", which regularly causes a stir with investigative stories, published an article in April 2023 in which 13 women accused him of sexual assault or inappropriate sexual comments. They denounce incidents that allegedly took place mainly during film shoots between 2004 and 2022.
Depardieu denies the allegations
Depardieu completely denies the allegations. In a letter published in the newspaper "Le Figaro" at the beginning of October 2023, he describes himself as the victim of a "media lynching".
In it, he admitted that he had been "provoked, exaggerated, sometimes abusive" throughout his life, but that he was not a rapist. He also wrote that Arnould had voluntarily gone to his room with him.
At the end of 2023, Depardieu also shocked viewers with misogynistic and degrading comments in the investigative TV magazine "Complément d'enquête" about his trip to North Korea, during which he visited a stud farm, among other things.
In the report, he says in front of the camera while a young girl on a horse appears in the picture: "Women like to ride because their clitoris rubs against the saddle". Depardieu claims that the images were taken out of context and are fictitious. In mid-October, a Paris court ordered an expert opinion to determine whether the images had been manipulated.
From film icon to persona non grata?
Depardieu has starred in over 200 films, many of which have become cinematic classics, such as "The Outlaws", "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "The Last Metro". Since the mounting accusations, however, more and more people are distancing themselves from him.
France Télévisions, France's public broadcaster, announced weeks ago that it would be reviewing its broadcasting plans with Depardieu and putting all projects with him on hold for the time being.
A collaboration with him for the animated film "La plus précieuse des marchandises" by Michel Hazanavicius was also abandoned - by mutual agreement, according to reports.
