Depardieu convicted of sexual assault, receives suspended sentence
According to France24, French actor Gérard Depardieu heard the verdict on Tuesday regarding sexual harassment allegations brought by two women he worked with on set in 2021. The trial coincides with the opening of the Cannes Film Festival and marks the beginning of a challenging legal battle for the 76-year-old actor.
Gérard Depardieu was found guilty on Tuesday of sexual assault against two women by a Paris criminal court. He was sentenced to 18 months of suspended imprisonment. The actor was also subjected to additional sanctions: a two-year ban on holding public office and registration in the national automated register of sexual offenders - reports France TV Info.
The actor, known for over 250 films, was accused of harassing two women during the filming of "Les Volets Verts" in 2021. Depardieu denies the allegations, although he admits to using vulgar language on set.
According to the French service, the actor did not appear in court to hear the announcement of the verdict, which began shortly after 11:00 GMT. Gérard Depardieu was recently on São Miguel Island – the largest in the Azores archipelago – where he was participating in a film directed by his friend Fanny Ardant.
Meanwhile, his lawyer, Jérémie Assous, earlier assured on Franceinfo that the actor would appear in court.
The prosecution demanded 18 months of suspended prison time, while the defence sought acquittal, claiming that Depardieu is a victim of a "puritanical witch hunt." The actor was supposed to leave the film set in the Azores, where he works under the direction of Fanny Ardant, to personally appear in court.
Depardieu hoped for an acquittal and an end to what he described as a "three-year ordeal of lies and slander." The actor denies the allegations, though he admits to being "vulgar" and provocative.
Allegations against Depardieu
The first woman, a set decorator, testified that Depardieu grabbed her by the hips and began "groping" her around the buttocks and front of her body. The second woman, an assistant, claims the actor touched her buttocks and breasts on three different occasions. Both women described their experiences during the trial.
These accusations triggered a wave of additional claims. About fifteen women claim they were abused by Depardieu on the sets of eleven films between 2004 and 2022. The prosecution deemed the victims' testimonies credible and highlighted inconsistencies in the actor's defence.
In 2018, actress Charlotte Arnould accused him of rape, and that case is still ongoing.
As a result of these events, Depardieu is gradually losing support in the film community. In October 2023, he published an open letter denying the allegations, emphasising that he never harmed any woman, although he admitted he likes to "push boundaries."
In early 2024, around fifty figures from French cinema expressed their support for him in an article condemning the "lynching" to which he is subjected. However, many of them later distanced themselves from the actor, who is increasingly moving away from the film world.
