Actor’s Sexual Assault Trial Delayed for Health Reasons: Latest on Gerard Depardieu

The sexual assault trial of French actor Gerard Depardieu, 75, has been postponed until March due to health concerns. The Paris criminal court ordered a medical assessment after the actor’s attorney, Jeremie Assous, told FranceInfo that the actor is “extremely affected and unfortunately his doctors have forbidden him from being present at the hearing,” per Variety.

“He is anxious to defend himself, because for over three years, a huge number of inaccuracies, false information and lies have been systematically disseminated and relayed,” Assous stated via The Independent. The trial will resume on March 24 and 25.

The charges stem from two alleged sexual assaults during the filming of Jean Becker’s The Green Shutters in 2021. Amelie K., a set decorator, reported that on Sept. 10, Depardieu made crude comments before physically assaulting her. According to prosecutors, she alleged that “he grabbed her, pulled her toward him, blocked her with his legs, and groped her waist, hips, and chest, accompanying his gestures with obscene remarks.” She was helped by two colleagues while Depardieu left with his bodyguards, according to Variety.

A second complainant, Engela W., who served as Becker’s assistant, filed charges regarding incidents from Aug. 31, the outlet reports. She reported multiple instances of unwanted touching, including groping of her buttocks and breasts. After expressing her refusal to be touched, she claimed Depardieu became insulting toward her, reporting the incidents to her family that same day.

The first victim stated in a TV interview that after the incident, Depardieu was asked to apologize but instead became furious and blamed her for causing trouble. She revealed that the alleged assault “had taken a toll on her personal and professional life for at least one and a half years,” causing anxiety attacks, sleep issues, and weight loss. “The plaintiff explained that it had taken her some time to decide to lodge a complaint, but that she had been shocked to hear on television that there had never been any incident during the filming, reports The Independent. She added that she was not the only one to have been sexually assaulted,” according to the Paris Prosecutor’s Office.

Outside the courthouse, approximately 100 demonstrators gathered in support of sexual violence victims. French actor Anouk Grinberg, who worked on The Green Shutters, attended the protest, declaring Depardieu “a coward” and stating via the outlet, “I can’t take it anymore. It’s unbearable, this man’s violence against women. And the impunity, it’s got to stop, society can’t allow it.”

One of the plaintiffs, described as a 53-year-old production designer, stated, “it was extremely difficult to listen to all this violence,” adding, “He questioned everything. There were a lot of lies, about almost everything actually.”

These allegations are part of a broader pattern of accusations against Depardieu. Since December 2020, he has faced separate rape and sexual assault charges filed by actress Charlotte Arnould regarding incidents from 2018. The Paris prosecutor’s office recently recommended he stand trial for these allegations.

In April 2023, thirteen women accused Depardieu of inappropriate sexual behavior in an investigation by Médiapart. A subsequent documentary by France 2 featured accusations from 16 women and showed Depardieu making obscene remarks during a 2018 North Korean trip, including inappropriate comments about a young girl and sexual remarks toward an interpreter.

In response to the allegations, Depardieu’s attorney has claimed that the “true intent has just been revealed through the civil parties’ compensation demands: to gain financially, ranging from €6,000 to €30,000.” The lawyer stated in an email Saturday that “the witnesses and evidence [Depardieu] will produce will demonstrate that he is the target of false accusations,” reports The Independent.

Despite the allegations, Depardieu has received support from various quarters, including French President Emmanuel Macron. Late last year, 56 French cultural figures published an essay defending the actor, arguing that attacks on Depardieu represented an assault on cinema itself.

The celebrated actor, who has appeared in over 150 films, including Cyrano de Bergerac, faces up to five years imprisonment and a €75,000 fine if convicted. His career has effectively halted, with his recent work limited to a small Italian horror film titled Twins, currently in post-production.