Verdict due Tuesday in Depardieu sexual assault trial
A Paris court is to give a verdict Tuesday in the sexual assault trial of French cinema icon Gerard Depardieu in a case that has gripped the country. The ruling will coincide with the start of the Cannes Film Festival and is likely to be among the biggest talking points at the cinema extravaganza. Depardieu, who has acted in more than 200 films and television series, is the highest-profile figure caught up in France's response to the #MeToo movement.
He has been accused of improper behavior by around 20 women, but this is the first case to come to court. The trial relates to charges of sexual assault during the filming in 2021 of 'Les Volets Verts' ('The Green Shutters') by director Jean Becker. Nearly two months after the high-profile proceedings, the Paris Criminal Court will deliver its verdict from 10:00 am (0800 GMT) Tuesday.
The plaintiffs are a set dresser, 54, identified only as Amelie, and a 34-year-old assistant director, who accuse the actor of sexual assault. Only Amelie is expected to be present for the verdict. Depardieu, 76, might not be in attendance. The actor, who had complained that he had been out of work for three years, is to star in a film directed by his friend, actor Fanny Ardant. The shooting of the scenes involving Depardieu began in April in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores.
'Foul-mouthed'
In March, lead prosecutor Laurent Guy recommended an 18-month suspended jail sentence for Depardieu, arguing that the assaults reported by the two women were 'intentional'. He said Depardieu should also be ordered to undergo psychological treatment, and be added to France's sex offender registry.
Amelie said that the actor had behaved like a 'wild animal' on set in 2021. Depardieu had boasted he could 'give women an orgasm without touching them', she said. She also said Depardieu made 'obscene remarks' and suggestions. The actor has denied sexually assaulting the women. 'I'm vulgar, rude, foul-mouthed, I'll accept that,' he told the court, but he added: 'I don't touch.'
'I adore women and femininity,' he also said, while describing the #MeToo movement as a 'reign of terror'. Throughout the trial, Depardieu has been supported by his daughter Roxane, his ex-partner Karine Silla and actor Vincent Perez. Long-time friend Ardant, 76, spoke for him. 'I have never witnessed anything that I found shocking,' she told the court. 'I know that you can say no to Gerard.'
'Sexism and misogyny'
Lawyers for the two plaintiffs complained of the tension in the courtroom and denounced the approach of Depardieu's defense team. The actor's lawyer Jeremie Assous called the two women 'liars' and 'hysterical'. They were working for the cause of 'rabid feminism', he argued. Claude Vincent, the assistant director's lawyer, said: 'What we witnessed was not a defense strategy' but 'an apology for sexism'.
In an open letter, nearly 200 French lawyers urged the judiciary to fight what they called courtroom sexism. Depardieu's lawyer had 'used sexism and misogyny to his heart's delight' to discredit the plaintiffs and their legal team, they said. Depardieu has also been indicted in another case following a rape complaint filed by actor Charlotte Arnould, 29. Prosecutors have requested a trial.
In April, French MPs criticized 'endemic' abuse in the entertainment industry after a six-month inquiry. Depardieu became a star in France from the 1980s with roles in 'The Last Metro', 'Police' and 'Cyrano de Bergerac', before Peter Weir's 'Green Card' made him a Hollywood celebrity. He later acted in global productions including Kenneth Branagh's 'Hamlet', Ang Lee's 'Life of Pi' and Netflix's 'Marseille' series. In 1990 he won the Best Actor award at the Cannes festival for his performance in 'Cyrano de Bergerac'. — AFP
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