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Actor Gérard Depardieu will appear before a Paris court accused of sexual assault
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Actor Gérard Depardieu will appear before a Paris court accused of sexual assault

PARIS – French actor Gérard Depardieu is expected to appear in criminal court in Paris on Monday for the alleged sexual assaults of two women in a film shot in 2021.

Depardieu, who has previously denied wrongdoing, is accused of using “violence, coercion, surprise or threat” in the alleged assault, which prosecutors say took place on the set of “Les Volets verts” (“The Green Shutters”). .

Prosecutors say that in both cases the victims reported that the 75-year-old actor trapped them between his legs and touched their buttocks, genitals, chest and breasts over their clothing.

The trial comes as France continues to confront sexual violence in the wake of the #MeToo movement that struggled to find traction, especially in the film industry.

Prosecutors say there are witnesses on the film set.

One of the victims has been identified as a 53-year-old production designer. The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of sexual assault without their consent. His attorney did not respond to an email from the AP about that matter.

According to Paris prosecutors, the woman told investigators that she first heard sexual comments from Depardieu and then, one day, as she walked past him, he “grabbed her, pulled her toward him, blocked her with his legs and groped her.” . waist, hips and chest, accompanying his gestures with obscene comments.”

Three people witnessed it, prosecutors said, confirming that the woman tried to free herself from Depardieu and appeared “shocked.” A psychiatric examination granted him a seven-day license.

Actor Gerard Depardieu addresses the media during the press conference...

Actor Gerard Depardieu addresses the media during the press conference for the film ‘Saint Amour’ at the 2016 Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, on February 19, 2016. Credit: AP/Axel Schmidt

After the incident, Depardieu was arranged to apologize. But in a television interview broadcast on Saturday, she said the actor was furious and blamed her for causing problems. Prosecutors said witnesses confirmed that what Depardieu had said did not constitute an apology.

In the interview with French online news site Mediapart, the production designer, who spoke on camera but gave only her first name, said the alleged assault had affected her personal and professional life for at least a year and a half. . He said he couldn’t sleep well, suffered anxiety attacks and lost weight.

The woman, according to prosecutors, said it took her a while to file the complaint, but she decided to do so after hearing on television that there had never been any incident during filming.

The month before the alleged assault, another woman who also worked on the film’s set had complained about Depardieu, Paris prosecutors said.

An assistant director told investigators that Depardieu had touched her buttocks on several occasions. She had expressed her disapproval and, in return, Depardieu, she said, had insulted her. A psychiatrist also granted him six days’ leave.

Jérémie Assous, Depardieu’s lawyer, told the AP in an email Saturday that “the witnesses and evidence that (Depardieu) will present will demonstrate that he is the target of false accusations.”

It is unclear when the court will rule.

Macron and some members of the film industry support Depardieu

Despite the accusations against Depardieu, many have expressed their support, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

Late last year, 56 French artists, writers and producers published an essay defending the film star, saying that when “Gérard Depardieu is attacked in this way, it is the art (of cinema) that is being attacked.”

His call came just weeks after national broadcaster France 2 published a documentary outlining allegations of sexual misconduct by 16 women against Depardieu, and showing the actor making obscene comments and gestures during a trip to North Korea. in 2018.

In the images, Depardieu can be seen making moans and sexual comments in front of women, including a girl of about 10 years old who is riding a horse. He can also be seen posing for a photo, saying he was “touching the butt” of a North Korean interpreter next to him.

He was charged in 2021 with rape and sexual assault after authorities revived a 2018 investigation that was initially dropped following accusations by actress Charlotte Arnould.

In an open letter published in the conservative newspaper Le Figaro, Depardieu said last year: “I have never, ever abused a woman.”

The actor was long considered a national icon in France. He has been a global ambassador of French cinema and enjoyed international fame with several roles in Hollywood.

Earlier this year, actress Judith Godrèche called on the French film industry to “face the truth” about sexual violence and physical abuse during the César Awards ceremony, France’s version of the Oscars.

Godrèche had previously alleged that two prominent filmmakers sexually abused her when she was a teenager, causing new shocks in the industry.

More recently, the ongoing trial of 50 men accused of raping a woman who had previously been drugged and left unconscious by her husband shook the country. Protests spread across the country last weekend in support of the victim, a mother and grandmother in her 70s, who has become a hero to many victims of sexual violence for insisting that her trial be open to the public. public.

Feminist groups have called for a protest outside the court ahead of Monday’s hearings.