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The Guardian
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
A French icon falls: Gérard Depardieu's guilt will make his films hard to watch
It seems strangely appropriate that 76-year-old French movie star Gérard Depardieu was found guilty of sexual assault and given an 18-month suspended prison sentence on the eve of the 78th edition of the Cannes film festival. Both Cannes and Depardieu, born in the 40s, belong to an old world, but it seems only one of them has managed to adapt to the times we live in, especially since the #MeToo movement. For anyone who followed the trial closely, it was never in doubt that justice would prevail and that a French monument was about to fall. Once the accusers, two female technicians who worked as set-dresser and assistant director on the film Les Volets Verts in 2021, had pressed charges and the facts been exposed in court, there was little doubt as to the dignity of the victims and the veracity of the sexual assaults. But what was particularly striking was how Depardieu behaved throughout the trial. His attitude was an aggravating factor for the public but also the court. Unrepentant, uncomprehending, lamenting that he didn't understand this new world, Depardieu pretended to be physically frailer than he was, and lacked gravitas. For this French citizen, there was one particularly revealing moment in the trial, when 76-year-old actor Fanny Ardant (who starred alongside Depardieu in François Truffaut's The Woman Next Door) testified in support of her friend Depardieu. She made her entrance in a long black dress and white collar, and delivered a passionate monologue about the art of acting. 'I know we are here to search for the truth, but I would like to broaden the debate and say why Gérard Depardieu is such a great actor. He is a genius at giving his characters depth and richness, and a complexity with its share of contradiction, good and evil, light and shadow. Any genius carries in them something extravagant, rebellious and dangerous (…) If he is loved all over the world it is because everyone can recognise themselves in the characters he plays. (…) Yes, he has a big mouth, yes, he shouts obscenities, yes, he plays the fool. Without taking risks, one is no more an artist, one is just a servant.' Ardant ended: 'I know the world has changed, I know we now find intolerable what we used to tolerate and that institutions are here to transform society, but fear should not become the new morality.' The court's president thanked Ardant for 'this beautiful portrait of Gérard Depardieu' and, implacable, reminded the actor that 'we are not here for morality purposes; we are here to apply the law. And to look at facts of sexual assaults.' Indeed. There was never a better reminder, especially in France, that facts prevail and that even genius cannot be a shield any more. On Tuesday, Depardieu's lawyer declared they would appeal against the court's decision. However, the film industry sentenced him a long time ago. The actor, arguably one of the greatest of the 20th century, hasn't shot a film in the last three years and his rare performances on stage have been disrupted by protesters. In light of this judgment his career could be finished and his reputation profoundly tarnished. What remains is his work: more than 200 films and TV series. They exist, in people's memories and in celluloid, and they cannot be erased. This cinephile will not banish masterpieces such as Bernardo Bertolucci's 1900, Truffaut's The Last Metro and The Woman Next Door, Andrzej Wajda's Danton, Maurice Pialat's Under the Sun of Satan, and Jean-Paul Rappeneau's Cyrano from her personal cinematic pantheon. A film is a sum of many talents, in front of and behind the camera and the acts of one individual should not taint the work of another hundred. However, to say that the fall of Depardieu will have no impact on our experience as viewers is of course deluded. Cinephiles are also citizens, they don't live in a vacuum-packed world. Watching those films again may prove a bittersweet experience, just like watching postwar French films with actors who chose to collaborate with the enemy during the second world war. Unsavoury and sad.
Local France
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Local France
French screen star Depardieu convicted of sexual assault
The Paris court also ordered that Depardieu, 76, who was not present in court for the verdict, be inscribed on the sex offenders' register. 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. By coincidence, the verdict was delivered on the first day of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, France's most prestigious cinema showcase where Depardieu won best actor in 1990 and was for years the subject of adulation. The whereabouts of Depardieu were not immediately clear. He had in April been working in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores on a new film directed by his friend, actor Fanny Ardant, who has been outspoken in supporting him. His lawyer, who represented Depardieu in court, said he would appeal the conviction. Around 20 women have accused Depardieu of assault or inappropriate behaviour but this was the first case to come to court. The trial related to charges of sexual assault during the filming in 2021 of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) by director Jean Becker. The plaintiffs were a set dresser, 54, identified only as Amélie, and a 34-year-old assistant director, who accused the actor of sexual assault. In March, lead prosecutor Laurent Guy recommended an 18-month suspended jail term for Depardieu, arguing that the sentence "takes into account the total lack of remorse" shown by the defendant. Advertisement Amelie testified that Depardieu pinned her down in 2021 on set, saying, "he was very strong" and "groped" her. She also said Depardieu made "obscene remarks" and suggestions, boasting he could "give women an orgasm without touching them". The 34-year-old plaintiff said Depardieu initially assaulted her when she accompanied him from his dressing room to the set. "It was nighttime... he put his hand on my buttocks," she said, adding that the actor assaulted her on two other occasions. Depardieu 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." Advertisement "I adore women and femininity," he also said, while describing the #MeToo movement as a "reign of terror". Throughout the trial, Depardieu was supported by his daughter Roxane, his ex-partner Karine Silla and actor Vincent Perez. And on Monday, he won public backing from French film star Brigitte Bardot. "Those who have talent and put their hands on a girl's bottom are thrown in the gutter," Bardot said. "We could at least let them get on with their lives. They can't live anymore." Lawyers for the two plaintiffs denounced the approach of Depardieu's defence team. The actor's lawyer, Jeremie Assous, called the two women "liars" and "hysterical", arguing that they were working for the cause of "rabid feminism". Claude Vincent, the assistant director's lawyer, said: "What we witnessed was not a defence 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 criticised "endemic" abuse in the entertainment industry after a six-month inquiry. Depardieu became a star in France from the 1980s, winning the Best Actor award at the Cannes film festival in 1990 for his performance in "Cyrano de Bergerac".
Daily Record
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Hollywood actor Gerard Depardieu guilty of sexually assaulting two women on film set
A French court has found actor Gerard Depardieu guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a film set. Hollywood actor Gerard Depardieu has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a 2021 film set. The 76-year-old French actor, who had roles in over 200 movies and wasn't present as the verdict was being read out, was convicted by the Paris Correctional Court of groping two women while filming Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) in 2021, reports the Mirror. Both victims had behind-the-scenes roles on the film set. A 34-year-old assistant producer referred to as Sarah and Amélie, 54, a set designer, said they were intimidated by the actor and were scared to speak out about the assault at the time. The set designer called Amelie said: "I was petrified." The actor trapped her between his legs when she was trying to get past him in a corridor, Amelie told the court. He then ran his hands over her body. Amelie said: "He terrified me - he looked like a madman." The two women said the star sexually assaulted them by grabbing them and running his hands over their bodies after first using vulgar and explicit language towards them to abuse them. The court heard he made crude sexual advances towards the victims. Barrister Carine Durrieu Diebolt, who was representing the set designer, said Amelie was typical of victims who were 'afraid to speak out '. Ms Durrieu Diebolt said: "These women are all technicians, doing minor jobs in the film industry. "There's a risk of reprisals. They are afraid of speaking, of being blacklisted, of being viewed as troublemakers in the workplace." Depardieu claimed he didn't know what sexual assault was. He had denied the allegations made against him and previously received the support from the likes of French president Emmanuel Macron. A female lawyer at his trial previously described him as a ' sex attacker ' who 'preys on the weak' when he denied the charges against him. It comes after French veteran film star Fanny Ardant, spoke out in his defence. Barriest Currieu Diebolt said: "He didn't grope Fanny Ardant. He wouldn't have done that to Fanny Ardant. Mr Depardieu is strong with the weak and weak with the strong." Durrieu Diebolt labelled the case a 'French Me Too ', and said other women would have pressed charges against the controversial actor if it hadn't been for the French statute of limitations, which prevents cases dating back more than a decade from being prosecuted. She said: "If not for that, there would have been 20 women instead of two in court. Perhaps you consider that he's a great actor and you like his films, and you don't see him as a sexual attacker, but he is also a man of wealth." He has previously been accused publicly or via formal complaints of misconduct by over 20 women, but no other case has gone to court. Some were dropped due to lack of evidence. The actor has been, since December, 16, 2020, indicted over allegations of rape and sexual assault filed in 2018, as part of a separate case. In a report published by French investigative news website Médiapart in April 2023, Depardieu was also accused by 13 women of sexually inappropriate behaviour. Today, Depardieu was believed to be filming with Ardant in Portugal. * If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999 Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gérard Depardieu Found Guilty Of Sexual Assault; Given 18-Month Suspended Sentence
A Paris court has found Gérard Depardieu guilty of sexual assault and given him a 18-month suspended sentence. The sentence follows a high-profile and tumultuous trial in Paris in March related to accusations of groping on the set of Jean Becker's The Green Shutters in 2021. More from Deadline Vincent Maël Cardona Talks Studiocanal Lottery Ticket Thriller 'No One Will Know' + First Clip - Cannes Midnight Screenings Carrousel Studios, SunnyMarch & Landscape Team On Chevaline Killings Limited Series 'The Annecy Murders' Tahar Rahim, Camille Cottin, Benjamin Lavernhe & Noémie Merlant Join Vincent Lindon In Fred Cavayé's 'Les Misérables'; Studiocanal Launching Sales In Cannes The Green Card and Cyrano de Bergerac was not in court to hear the sentencing, and was instead represented by his lawyer Jérémie Assous. The trial marked Depardieu's first time in court against a backdrop of at least 20 public allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior against him, dating back decades, although many allegations have only come to light in recent years. It is also seen as a landmark #MeToo test case in France, which was slow to embrace the movement, with a near omertà in the film world around the question of inappropriate behaviour until recently. Depardieu is reportedly currently in Portugal on the set of Fanny Ardant's upcoming film (Ela Olhava Sem Nada Ver), which is shooting on the island of Sao Miguel. Long-time friend Ardant is one of the few figures in the French film world to have remained publicly supportive of the actor. The feature – about a love story between two women on a mysterious island – is Depardieu's first film or TV role since 2022, following his fall from grace amid a raft of sexual assault allegations, which he has denied. Depardieu could be back in the dock for a second time in the coming months in relation to rape allegations by actress Charlotte Arnould, dating back to 2018. The Paris Prosecutor's Office made a request for a trial last summer related to the allegations, which is making it way through the judicial system. The actor has denied the accusations. Tuesday's sentence is related to assaults on two female crew members on the set of The Green Shutters. In the first, the actor pinned a set dresser with his legs and kneading her breasts, saying: 'Come touch my big parasol, I'm going to shove it up your pussy'. In the second, a third assistant director, who testified under the pseudonym of Sarah, said Depardieu had touched her buttocks and breasts on two occasions when she was accompanying him on set. Depardieu has repeatedly refuted both accounts saying his actions had been misinterpreted. A number of women, who were not pressing charges, also gave evidence, including an actress who alleged Depardieu had shoved his hands into her knickers during a photo-call on the set of Netflix show Marseille. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About Ari Aster's 'Eddington' So Far Everything We Know About 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2 So Far List Of Hollywood & Media Layoffs From Paramount To Warner Bros Discovery To CNN & More
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gerard Depardieu Found Guilty on Sexual Assault Charges, Given 18-Month Suspended Prison Sentence
French actor Gerard Depardieu was convicted of sexual assault against two women and received an 18-month prison sentence from a Paris court. The verdict stems from sexual assault charges filed by two women, a set decorator and an assistant director, who worked on the shoot of 'The Green Shutters' in 2021. The prosecutor had requested an 18-month suspended sentence following a four-day-trial during which Depardieu refuted all accusations. Prosecutors also requested the court to fine the actor and obligate him to undergo psychological treatment, as well as have him registered in the sex offenders file. More from Variety Gerard Depardieu Faces 18-Month Suspended Prison Sentence at Sexual Assault Trial French Actor Fanny Ardant Defends Gerard Depardieu at Sexual Assault Trial in Paris Gerard Depardieu Denies All Accusations on Sexual Assault Trial: 'I Am Not a Person Who Would Grope in the Metro' The assistant director reported in her complaint that Depardieu had touched her buttocks in the street, then touched her breasts a few days later on location and touched her buttocks again on another occasion. Depardieu, meanwhile, said 'I may have grazed it with my back in the corridor, but I didn't touch (her buttocks),' Depardieu was quoted saying in Le Monde. The set decorator has accused Depardieu of having sexually assaulted and harassed her during filming by making several crude comments. She alleges that one day, as she walked past him sitting in a corridor, he grabbed her, pulled her toward him, blocked her with his legs and kneaded her on the waist, hips and chest, while making obscene comments. But Depardieu had different version of their encounter. He said he only grabbed her hips 'so as to not slip.' As part of a separate case, the famous French actor has been, since Dec. 16, 2020, indicted over allegations of rape and sexual assault filed by actress Charlotte Arnould in 2018. Last August, the Paris public prosecutor's office requested in a final indictment that Depardieu be referred to the departmental criminal court to stand trial for rape by digital penetration and sexual assault that allegedly occurred on Aug. 7 and 13 of 2018. The examining magistrate now has to decide what direction to give to the proceedings. Depardieu, who has triggered a watershed moment for the #MeToo movement in France, was also accused by 13 women of sexually inappropriate behavior in a report published by French investigative news website Médiapart in April 2023. More to come. Best of Variety All the Godzilla Movies Ranked Final Oscar Predictions: International Feature – United Kingdom to Win Its First Statuette With 'The Zone of Interest' 'Game of Thrones' Filming Locations in Northern Ireland to Open as Tourist Attractions
