French actor Gérard Depardieu ordered to stand trial on sexual assault charges
Renowned French actor Gérard Depardieu has been ordered to stand trial on criminal charges of sexually assaulting two women during a 2021 film shoot in France. The Paris prosecutor’s office announced that the 75-year-old actor will face trial in October over allegations of sexual assault on the set of the movie “Les Volets Verts,” directed by Jean Becker.
This development deepens Depardieu’s legal troubles and further tarnishes his global reputation as he faces a growing number of accusations of sexual violence. The actor has been accused by over a dozen women of groping, harassment, or sexual assault over the years, but has not stood trial in any of the cases.
The two women who accused Depardieu of sexual assault on the set of “The Green Shutters” spoke anonymously to investigative news website Mediapart. One woman, a 53-year-old set decorator, alleged that Depardieu used crude language and molested her during a shoot in Paris in September 2021. The other, a 33-year-old assistant director, said he groped her multiple times during filming in the French capital.
The movie production team reportedly made Depardieu apologize to the two women, and their accounts were corroborated by over a dozen people who worked on the film. Depardieu spent several hours being questioned by police in Paris before the order to stand trial was announced.
This is not the first time Depardieu has faced accusations of sexual misconduct. He was previously charged with rape and sexual assault in a separate case involving French actress Charlotte Arnould, but it is unclear if he will stand trial on those accusations as well.
The order to stand trial is a significant development for Depardieu, who has become a #MeToo flashpoint in French society. While some have defended him, others see it as a long-overdue reckoning with sexism and sexual violence in the French movie industry. The trial in October will be a crucial moment in Depardieu’s legal battle and his reputation as a celebrated actor.
