Latest news with #JeanBecker
News24
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
Gérard Depardieu falls from grace: Paris court sentences actor for sexual assault onset
Gérard Depardieu was handed an 18-month suspended sentence by a Paris court on Tuesday after being convicted of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021. The French cinema icon was also ordered to register as a sex offender. 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. A Paris court on Tuesday handed French cinema icon Gérard Depardieu an 18-month suspended sentence after convicting him of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021. The court also ordered that Depardieu, who was not present for the verdict, register as a sex offender - marking a spectacular fall from grace for the 76-year-old who has dominated French cinema for half a century. 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. 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. The trial related to charges of sexual assault during the 2021 filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) by director Jean Becker. READ | The plaintiffs were a set dresser, 54, identified only as Amelie, and a 34-year-old assistant director, who accused the actor of sexual assault. Of the two, only Amelie was present to hear the judgment, and she reported feeling relieved after going through 'an emotional rollercoaster'. 'This recognition of the mistreatment in court means a lot to us,' said Carine Durrieu Diebolt, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs. Claude Vincent, another lawyer for the plaintiffs, added: 'Genius does not excuse sexual assault.' Around 20 women have accused Depardieu of assault or inappropriate behaviour, but this was the first case to come to court. The whereabouts of the actor were not immediately clear. 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 his scenes began in April in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The actor's lawyer, Jérémie Assous, said Depardieu would appeal. 'The moment you are implicated in a case of sexual assault, you are automatically convicted,' he said. 'Not a monster' Depardieu, a towering figure in French cinema, has often been described by French press as a 'sacred monster'. Commenting on the verdict, actor Juliette Binoche, who presides over the Cannes Film Festival jury this year, said that the expression of 'sacred monster' has always bothered her. 'He's not a monster; he's a man,' she said, adding he had 'lost his aura through actions that were reviewed by the judiciary.' The sentence was in line with the recommendation of prosecutor Laurent Guy, who argued an 18-month suspended jail term 'takes into account the total lack of remorse' shown by the defendant. Amelie testified that Depardieu pinned her down on set in 2021, saying that 'he was very strong'. 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,' she said. '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,' while describing the #MeToo movement as a 'reign of terror'. Depardieu has been supported by his daughter Roxane, his ex-partner Karine Silla and actor Vincent Perez. On Monday, he won 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 told broadcaster BFMTV. 'We could at least let them get on with their lives. They can't live anymore.' ' Change judicial practices' While delivering the verdict, the presiding judge criticised the 'excessive harshness' shown toward the plaintiffs by Depardieu's defence team. During the trial, the actor's lawyer Assous called the two women 'liars' and 'hysterical', arguing that they were working for the cause of 'rabid feminism'. 'These remarks, by their very nature, amount to secondary victimisation,' the presiding judge said, ordering Depardieu to pay each woman 1000 euros ($1 111). The court also ordered Depardieu to pay 4 000 euros to Amelie and 2 000 euros to the second woman in compensation for moral injury. Women's rights group the Fondation des Femmes hailed the ruling. 'We hope this decision will help change judicial practices and finally reduce the impunity that has long surrounded sexual violence,' said the group. In April, French MPs criticised 'endemic' abuse in the entertainment industry after a six-month inquiry. Depardieu has also been indicted in another case following a rape complaint filed by actor Charlotte Arnould, 29. Prosecutors have requested a trial.
News.com.au
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Depardieu convicted of sexually assaulting two women
A Paris court on Tuesday handed French cinema icon Gerard Depardieu an 18-month suspended sentence after convicting him of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021. The court also ordered that Depardieu, who was not present for the verdict, register as a sex offender -- marking a spectacular fall from grace for the 76-year-old who has dominated French cinema for half a century. 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. 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 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 Amelie, and a 34-year-old assistant director, who accused the actor of sexual assault. Of the two, only Amelie was present to hear the judgement and she reported feeling relieved after going through "an emotional rollercoaster". "This recognition of the mistreatment in court means a lot to us," said Carine Durrieu Diebolt, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs. Claude Vincent, another lawyer for the plaintiffs, added: "Genius does not excuse sexual assault." Around 20 women have accused Depardieu of assault or inappropriate behaviour but this was the first case to come to court. The whereabouts of the actor were not immediately clear. 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. The actor's lawyer Jeremie Assous said Depardieu would appeal. "The moment you are implicated in a case of sexual assault, you are automatically convicted," he said. - 'Lack of remorse' - The sentence was fully in line with the recommendation of prosecutor Laurent Guy who argued an 18-month suspended jail term "takes into account the total lack of remorse" shown by the defendant. Amelie testified that Depardieu pinned her down on set in 2021, saying that "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," she said. "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." "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. 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 told broadcaster BFMTV. "We could at least let them get on with their lives. They can't live anymore," she added. - 'Change judicial practices' - While delivering the verdict, the presiding judge criticised the "excessive harshness" shown toward the plaintiffs by Depardieu's defence team. During the trial Assous, the actor's lawyer, called the two women "liars" and "hysterical", arguing that they were working for the cause of "rabid feminism". "These remarks, by their very nature, amount to secondary victimisation," the presiding judge said, ordering Depardieu to pay each woman 1,000 euros ($1,111). The court also ordered Depardieu to pay 4,000 euros to Amelie and 2,000 euros to the second woman in compensation for moral injury. Women's rights group the Fondation des Femmes hailed the ruling. "We hope this decision will help change judicial practices and finally reduce the impunity that has long surrounded sexual violence," said the group. Nearly 200 French lawyers signed an open letter during the proceedings urging the judiciary to fight what they called courtroom sexism. Depardieu's lawyer "used sexism and misogyny to his heart's delight" to try 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.
Al Jazeera
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Jazeera
French actor Gerard Depardieu found guilty of sexually assaulting two women
A French court has handed down an 18-month suspended sentence to actor Gerard Depardieu after finding him guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021. The Paris court announced on Tuesday morning that Depardieu, the 76-year-old who did not attend court for the verdict, would be placed on the sex offenders list. In one of the country's highest-profile Me Too cases, Depardieu, a prominent figure of French cinema who has acted in more than 200 films and television series, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. The trial relates to charges of sexual assault during the filming in 2021 of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) directed by Jean Becker. One of the two plaintiffs, Amelie K, a 54-year-old set decorator, told the court that Depardieu had groped her as he trapped her between his legs and made explicit sexual comments. 'He touched everything, including my breasts,' she said, adding: 'I was terrified, he was laughing.' The second witness, a 34-year-old assistant director who was unnamed, 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. Judge Thierry Donard said the actor's explanation of the events had been unconvincing. 'I'm vulgar, rude, foul-mouthed, I'll accept that,' Depardieu told the court, but added: 'I don't touch.' 'I adore women and femininity,' he also said, describing the Me Too movement as a 'reign of terror'. Depardieu also argued before the court that he did not consider placing a hand on a person's bottom to be sexual assault and that some women were too easily shocked. Amelie K's lawyer described Tuesday's ruling as a 'beautiful decision' that gave recognition to Depardieu's victims. After the sentencing, Depardieu's lawyer said they would appeal the court decision. In recent years, the French actor has faced a growing number of sexual assault allegations, with about 20 women coming forward with accusations, but this case was the first to go to court. The Me Too movement came to prominence in 2017 for people to share their experiences of sexual abuse and sexual harassment by influential figures.
Malay Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Gérard Depardieu: The rise and fall of a French film icon
PARIS, May 13 — Gérard Depardieu was a titan of French cinema for more than 50 years but a sexual assault conviction, a string of other allegations and several instances of lewd behaviour now cast a long, dark shadow over what was once a glittering career. The 76-year-old has been accused of sexual assault or rape by around 20 women. Today, in the first of these cases to go to trial, Depardieu was convicted of sexually assaulting two women during a 2021 film shoot in Paris for French director Jean Becker. One of the two victims said Depardieu grabbed her, groped her breasts and made 'obscene remarks' about wanting to penetrate her. His lawyer said he will appeal. In 2020, he was also charged with raping actor Charlotte Arnould when she was in her 20s. He denies the allegations. Depardieu's prolific career spans more than 200 films, making him one of the best-known French faces on the silver screen. French audiences long appreciated his brash, unfiltered and frequently offensive character. But this is now often seen in a strikingly different light in the #MeToo era. 'Fall of the Ogre' A 2023 television investigation entitled 'The Fall of the Ogre' revealed images shot five years earlier in North Korea, in which Depardieu can be heard making obscene sexual remarks about an under-age girl. When then–culture minister Rima Abdul-Malak called the recording of Depardieu in North Korea a 'shame for France', President Emmanuel Macron jumped to his defence. He remained a 'towering actor' who 'makes France proud', Macron said. Around 60 film and art figures signed a petition to support the 'cinema giant' in 2023, entitled 'Don't Cancel Gerard Depardieu'. Ahead of the sexual assault verdict, fellow film icon Brigitte Bardot also leapt to his defence, saying: 'Those who have talent and put their hands on a girl's bottom are thrown in the gutter.' While he attended the start of the trial, Depardieu was not in court for the verdict. He had in April been working on a new film directed by another of his supporters, actor Fanny Ardant, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. 'Hero with a thousand faces' Depardieu was born December 27, 1948, in Châteauroux, central France. Although his teenage years were marked by delinquency, he went on to discover the theatre in Paris and appeared in his first film in 1965. One of Depardieu's breakthrough roles came as a violent small-time crook in 1974's Les Valseuses (Going Places) directed by Bertrand Blier — a film that drew criticism for its on-screen depictions of sex. The controversy did nothing to harm Depardieu's career. He went on to be crowned with France's version of an Oscar, the César award, for Le Dernier Métro (The Last Metro) by New Wave icon François Truffaut. US magazine Newsweek called Depardieu a 'hero with a thousand faces' in 1987, when he was on a successful run that peaked with 1990's Cyrano de Bergerac by Jean-Paul Rappeneau. He began dipping into Hollywood in the years after, with movies such as Green Card and 1492 which won him new audiences. But his reputation took a blow in 1991 — just before the Oscars ceremony where Depardieu was nominated for Best Actor for Cyrano de Bergerac — when Time magazine printed an interview where he admitted to rapes during childhood. There was anger in the French government about an alleged conspiracy to deprive him of the Oscar and Depardieu denied having made the remarks, although Time stood by the interview. 'Provocative, excessive' While Depardieu's other antics — such as urinating on board a plane in 2011 — had once drawn laughs, he now became a liability for film studios. Pleading before the court of public opinion in an open letter in 2023, he swore that he was 'neither a rapist nor a predator'. 'I've been provocative, excessive, sometimes crude throughout my life... If when I thought I was living intensely in the present moment, I have hurt or shocked anyone at all, I never meant to do harm and I apologise,' Depardieu wrote. The father-of-three, whose son Guillaume died in 2008, has undergone a quadruple heart bypass and suffers from diabetes that has been aggravated by the stress of the trial, according to his lawyer. In 2013, he received a Russian passport personally from President Vladimir Putin. But he has criticised Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. — AFP
France 24
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
Gerard Depardieu: a tarnished French film icon
The 76-year-old has been accused of sexual assault or rape by around 20 women. On Tuesday, in the first of these cases to go to trial, Depardieu was convicted of sexually assaulting two women during a 2021 film shoot in Paris for French director Jean Becker. One of the two victims said Depardieu grabbed her, groped her breasts and made "obscene remarks" about wanting to penetrate her. His lawyer said he will appeal. In 2020, he was also charged with raping actor Charlotte Arnould when she was in her 20s. He denies the allegations. Depardieu's prolific career spans more than 200 films, making him one of the best-known French faces on the silver screen. French audiences long appreciated his brash, unfiltered and frequently offensive character. But this is now often seen in a strikingly different light in the #MeToo era. 'Fall of the Ogre' A 2023 television investigation entitled "The Fall of the Ogre" revealed images shot five years earlier in North Korea, in which Depardieu can be heard making obscene sexual remarks about an under-age girl. When then-culture minister Rima Abdul-Malak called the recording of Depardieu in North Korea a "shame for France", President Emmanuel Macron jumped to his defence. He remained a "towering actor" who "makes France proud", Macron said. Around 60 film and art figures signed a petition to support the "cinema giant" in 2023, entitled "Don't Cancel Gerard Depardieu". Ahead of the sexual assault verdict, fellow film icon Brigitte Bardot also leapt to his defence, saying: "Those who have talent and put their hands on a girl's bottom are thrown in the gutter." While he attended the start of the trial, Depardieu was not in court for the verdict. He had in April been working on a new film directed by another of his supporters, actor Fanny Ardant, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. 'Hero with a thousand faces' Depardieu was born December 27, 1948, in Chateauroux, central France. Although his teenage years were marked by delinquency, he went on to discover the theatre in Paris and appeared in his first film in 1965. One of Depardieu's breakthrough roles came as a violent small-time crook in 1974's "Les Valseuses" ("Going Places") directed by Bertrand Blier -- a film that drew criticism for its on-screen depictions of sex. The controversy did nothing to harm Depardieu's career. He went on to be crowned with France's version of an Oscar, the Cesar award, for "Le Dernier Metro" ("The Last Metro") by New Wave icon Francois Truffaut. US magazine Newsweek called Depardieu a "hero with a thousand faces" in 1987, when he was on a successful run that peaked with 1990's "Cyrano de Bergerac" by Jean-Paul Rappeneau. He began dipping into Hollywood in the years after, with movies such as "Green Card" and "1492" which won him new audiences. But his reputation took a blow in 1991 -- just before the Oscars ceremony where Depardieu was nominated for Best Actor for Cyrano de Bergerac -- when Time magazine printed an interview where he admitted to rapes during childhood. There was anger in the French government about an alleged conspiracy to deprive him of the Oscar and Depardieu denied having made the remarks, although Time stood by the interview. 'Provocative, excessive' While Depardieu's other antics -- such as urinating on board a plane in 2011 -- had once drawn laughs, he now became a liability for film studios. Pleading before the court of public opinion in an open letter in 2023, he swore that he was "neither a rapist nor a predator". "I've been provocative, excessive, sometimes crude throughout my life... If when I thought I was living intensely in the present moment, I have hurt or shocked anyone at all, I never meant to do harm and I apologise," Depardieu wrote. The father-of-three, whose son Guillaume died in 2008, has undergone a quadruple heart bypass and suffers from diabetes that has been aggravated by the stress of the trial, according to his lawyer. In 2013, he received a Russian passport personally from President Vladimir Putin. But he has criticised Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
