Actor is expected to testify on Tuesday over allegations by two women who worked with him on 2021 film
The French actor Gérard Depardieu has appeared in court in France on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting two women during a film shoot in 2021.
Depardieu, 76, dressed in a black suit and trainers with his grey hair swept back, arrived at the Paris criminal court amid a large police presence. Dozens of protesters had gathered outside the courthouse and shouted: “Victims, we believe you; rapists, we see you.”
After confirming his date and place of birth, the actor told the panel of three judges that he was prepared to answer the court’s questions. He is expected to testify on Tuesday.
Depardieu – one of France’s most famous actors, who has made more than 200 films and TV series – is the highest-profile figure in the French film industry to face allegations of sexual assault since the #MeToo movement.
Depardieu is charged with the sexual assault of a 54-year-old set dresser and a 34-year-old assistant director during shooting of the feature film Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) in Paris in 2021. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of €75,000 (£63,000) if convicted.
He is accused of sexually assaulting the set dresser on 10 September 2021 on the film set, allegedly trapping her between his legs before grabbing her buttocks, pubis and chest. She has said the actor also used obscene language and had to be pulled away by bodyguards.
The set dresser’s lawyer told the court that several people had witnessed her being grabbed and “trapped against her will”.
