MeToo: Sexual Assault Trial: What awaits Depardieu?

Women have been accusing him of sexual assault for years. Now France’s film icon is on trial for the first time. Two women accuse him of groping them during the filming of the film “Les volets verts” (The Green Shutters) by Jean Becker in 2021. According to the Paris public prosecutor’s office, if he is found guilty, the actor could face penalties of up to 5 years in prison and an additional fine of 75,000 euros. And with that probably the final end of his career.

Depardieu (“Cyrano of Bergerac”, “Asterix and Obelix”) is said to be present at the trial. His new lawyer, Jérémie Assous, told France Info radio that the performer intended to appear in court. He wanted to prove that he was “merely the target of false accusations.” As he further explained, the plaintiffs wanted to enrich themselves by demanding compensation for amounts between 6,000 and 30,000 euros.

Lawsuit for sexual assault and sexist insults

According to information from the Paris prosecutor’s office, one of the two plaintiffs, a decorator, accuses the actor of pulling her towards him as he sat in a corridor and she walked past him. He is said to have pinned her with his legs and touched her buttocks, her genitals and her breasts over her clothing.

He is said to have accompanied his gestures with obscene comments. She filed a lawsuit against him in February for sexual assault, sexual harassment and sexist insults.

According to prosecutors, the second woman, an assistant to the director, said that Depardieu touched her breasts and buttocks at the filming location. He is said to have previously harassed her on the street. She filed suit 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. The actress Charlotte Arnould sued him in 2018. This case has been under investigation since 2020. He is said to have offended Arnould twice. In that case, Depardieu could face the next trial.

The online newspaper “Mediapart”, which regularly causes a stir with exposes, published an article in April 2023 in which 13 women accused him of sexual assault or inappropriate sexual comments. They denounce incidents that are said to have occurred mainly during filming 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 a victim of “media lynching”. In it he admitted that he had been “provoked, exaggerated, sometimes abusive” all 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 people with misogynistic and degrading comments in the investigative TV magazine “Complément d’enquête” about his trip to North Korea, on which he visited, among other things, a stud farm.

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 have been taken out of context and are fictional. In mid-October, a Paris court ordered an expert report to be drawn up to determine whether the recordings had been manipulated.

From film icon to persona non grata?

Depardieu has appeared in over 200 films, many of which have become classics of cinema, such as “The Savvy”, “Cyrano of Bergerac” and “The Last Metro”. However, since the accusations have mounted, more and more people are distancing themselves from him.

France Télévisions, France’s public television company, announced weeks ago that it would review broadcast plans with Depardieu and put all projects with him on hold for the time being. They also decided not to work with him on the animated film “La plus précieuse des marchandises” by Michel Hazanavicius – by mutual agreement, as it was said.