Gerard Depardieu, a prominent French actor, is set to face a criminal trial later this year over allegations of sexual assaults against two women on a movie set in 2021. The 75-year-old actor, who denies any wrongdoing, was questioned by police in Paris recently.
His lawyer, Christian Saint-Palais, refrained from commenting to reporters, only stating that Depardieu was no longer in custody. The Paris public prosecutor’s office announced that Depardieu has been summoned to appear before the criminal court in October for sexual assaults alleged to have occurred during the filming of the movie “The Green Shutters” in September 2021.
This isn’t the first time Depardieu has faced such allegations. In February, he was accused of sexual assault by a female movie decorator, claiming he groped her during the filming of “Les Volets Verts” in 2021.
Also, 13 other women who worked with Depardieu came forward with claims of inappropriate advances and gestures. Depardieu had previously faced preliminary rape and sexual assault charges in 2020 based on allegations from actress Charlotte Arnould.
Depardieu has consistently denied all accusations, including through an open letter to Le Figaro in October the previous year.
Despite being a celebrated figure in French cinema with a career spanning six decades and appearing in over 200 films, Depardieu’s reputation has been tarnished amid the #MeToo movement’s impact on the French film industry.
French actress Judith Godreche’s impassioned speech during the Cesar Awards highlighted the industry’s need to confront issues of sexual violence and abuse.
