French actor Gérard Depardieu is set to face a criminal trial in October over allegations of sexual assaults that occurred in 2021 on the set of a film. The 75-year-old actor, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, was detained for questioning by police in Paris earlier today. Following the questioning, his lawyer, Christian Saint-Palais, refrained from commenting to reporters, except to confirm that Depardieu was no longer in custody.
The Paris public prosecutor’s office released a statement announcing that Depardieu has been summoned to appear before the criminal court after the recent questioning. The trial, scheduled for October, will address the sexual assaults that allegedly took place in September 2021 during the filming of the movie “The Green Shutters.” The statement did not disclose the identities of the alleged victims.
According to French newspaper Le Parisien, a 53-year-old movie decorator filed a complaint with the Paris prosecutor’s office in February, claiming that Depardieu had grabbed her and touched her waist, stomach, and breasts during the filming of “Les Volets verts” or “The Green Shutters.” The woman’s lawyer, Carine Durrieu Diebolt, provided this information.
Depardieu has faced similar accusations from more than a dozen other women, who have accused him of harassment, groping, or sexual assault. In 2020, he was handed preliminary rape and sexual assault charges following allegations made by actor Charlotte Arnould. The investigating judge concluded the probe on April 17 and transferred the case to the Paris public prosecutor’s office for further review and determination of the next steps.
Once considered a national icon in France, Depardieu has been a prominent ambassador for French cinema and achieved international fame with his roles in Hollywood. This latest development involving Depardieu emerges amidst a #metoo awakening in the French film industry, triggered by actor Judith Godrèche’s call for the industry to confront the reality of sexual violence and physical abuse. Godrèche made this appeal during the live broadcast of the Cesar Awards ceremony, France’s equivalent of the Oscars, in February.
