Gérard Depardieu's sexual assault trial in Paris: What you need to know
Gérard Depardieu (Photo: Getty Images)
On Monday, October 28, the trial began for French actor Gérard Depardieu, who is accused of harassing two women.
Details of the case
According to Bild, the alleged incidents occurred in 2021 on the set of the film The Green Shutters. Two crew members reported sexual assault, persistent harassment, and offensive sexist remarks from the actor.
Earlier in 2024, he was detained by the police to provide testimony in the case.
Depardieu fully denies the accusations. His lawyer claims they are false and asserts that the evidence and witness testimony presented at the trial will confirm this.
Gérard Depardieu (Photo: Wikipedia)
Later, the star's lawyer, Jérémie Assous, stated that due to health issues, the actor asked the Paris court to postpone the hearings.
"Unfortunately, Gérard Depardieu is in such a condition that doctors have forbidden him from attending court. He will request to reschedule the hearing to a later date so he can be personally present," the actor's lawyer explained.
Consequently, the Paris court decided to postpone the celebrity's trial until the spring of 2025.
Gérard Depardieu (Photo: Kinorium)
The hearing is rescheduled for March 24–25. The court also ordered a medical examination of the 75-year-old actor’s health.
More than a dozen women accused Depardieu of violence
Gérard Depardieu has been accused of sexual violence multiple times. In April 2023, 13 women, including actresses, extras, and makeup artists, reported inappropriate behavior by the actor.
In the same year, the well-known French actress Emmanuelle Debever, who had publicly accused Gérard of sexual violence during joint filming, took her own life by jumping into the Seine. She was 60 years old.
Emmanuelle Debever (Photo: Facebook/Emmanuelle Debever)
Spanish journalist Ruth Baza later came forward with similar accusations, claiming she had suffered violence from the actor during a 1995 interview for Cinemanía magazine.
In response to these allegations, actor Pierre Richard, who frequently worked with Depardieu, former French First Lady Carla Bruni, and 48 other figures from French culture expressed their support for the actor.
In a collective letter published in Le Figaro in December, Gérard was called the greatest actor of all time and the last of the "sacred giants of cinema."
Gérard Depardieu (Photo: Kinorium)
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