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Kuwait Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
French court convicts Depardieu of sexual assault
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, 76, who was not present for the verdict, register as a sex offender, marking a spectacular fall from grace for the man who has dominated French cinema for half a century. His lawyer said Depardieu would appeal. 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. Around 20 women have accused Depardieu of assault or inappropriate behavior 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 Amelie, and a 34-year-old assistant director, who accused the actor of sexual assault. Of the two, Amelie was present to hear the judgement, saying she felt relieved after going through "an emotional rollercoaster". 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. French actor Gerard Depardieu arrives on the fourth day of his trial in which he is charged with sexually assaulting two women during a film shoot in 2021, at the Paris criminal court in the Tribunal de Paris courthouse, on March 27, 2025. --AFP photos 'Lack of remorse' The sentence delivered by the court 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 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." "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." 'Sexism and misogyny' While delivering the verdict, the presiding judge criticized the "excessive harshness" shown toward the plaintiffs by Depardieu's defense team During the trial Jeremie 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 victimization," the presiding judge said, ordering Depardieu to pay each woman 1,000 euros ($1,111). "This recognition of the mistreatment in court means a lot to us," said Carine Durrieu Diebolt, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs. "I hope it will serve as a deterrent to aggressors," she added. Nearly 200 French lawyers signed an open letter during the proceedings urging 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. Announcing his client's appeal, Assous said: "The moment you're accused of sexual assault, you're automatically convicted." In April, French MPs criticized "endemic" abuse in the entertainment industry after a six-month inquiry. - AFP
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'It represents a seismic change': What Gérard Depardieu's conviction means for France
Yesterday, the French mega-star was found guilty of sexual assaulting two women on a film set. It's verdict which could have a big impact on the country's film industry. It couldn't have been timed more dramatically if it had been written into a film script. The world's most famous film festival, in Cannes, began on the same day that Gérard Depardieu, one of the biggest film stars France has ever produced, was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women on the film set of a 2021 film, The Green Shutters, who described him groping them while using obscene language. "The giants of cinema are no longer untouchable," exclaimed one French news website, while another said that the news had "shaken up" the start of the iconic festival, from where I am currently reporting. Seventy-six-year-old Depardieu is the veteran of around 200 films and TV productions. Famous in France since the late 1960s, he had international art house hits with films such as 1986's Jean de Florette. He became a global name as a result of a best actor Oscar nomination for a lavish French-language film production of Cyrano de Bergerac (1990), as well as the Hollywood romcom Green Card from the same year. Yesterday, Depardieu was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence, fined €29,000 (£24,430) and added to France's sex offenders register, but his lawyer said he will appeal the judgement. Around 20 women have made allegations about Depardieu's improper behaviour in the past, but this is the first to come to trial, and the significance of the verdict cannot be overstated, according to writer Agnès C Poirier. "When a monument falls, it is always powerful and symbolic," she tells the BBC. She adds that his reputation is "profoundly tarnished" but that "the French film industry sentenced him a long time ago. He hasn't shot a film in three years. His career is finished. He's still one of the greatest actors of the 20th Century, though we may now feel different when we watch his films." The mood at Cannes For many years, the larger-than-life figure of Depardieu has also been linked to the Cannes Film Festival. He won the best actor prize here for Cyrano de Bergerac, launching it on its Oscar journey, and also played a part behind the scenes; its director, Thierry Frémaux, admitted that a much-derided football film from 2014, United Passions, starring Depardieu, premiered at Cannes because of pressure from the actor. He was most recently seen in 2015 at the festival with Isabelle Huppert for the film Valley of Love (and was seen staging a mock kiss at the photocall, as pictured below). Unsurprisingly, Cannes Jury President, Juliette Binoche, who has also starred opposite Depardieu, was asked for her thoughts on the importance of his conviction at yesterday's opening press conference. "He is no longer sacred," she told journalists, a reference to the scale of Depardieu's power in the French film industry. Eve Jackson, the Culture Editor at French news channel France 24, tells the BBC that Depardieu "has been revered as one of the sons of the Cannes Film Festival. And now that legacy is going to be called into question because it really was this festival that launched him into international stardom 35 years ago with Cyrano de Bergerac." Last year's festival, anticipating Depardieu's forthcoming trial, was full of activity from France's own #MeToo movement, with French female film-makers using international cinema's most public platform to show films dealing with the subject of sexual abuse. Actress Judith Godrèche, who had recently gone public with allegations of sexual assault by two film-makers, Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon, premiered a short film called Moi Aussi, ("me too") featuring hundreds of victims of sexual abuse standing silently in the streets of Paris. Last July, both Jacquot and Doillon were interviewed by police in connection with the accusations, which they have denied. Coralie Fargeat's Oscar winner, body horror The Substance, which explored, as she told the BBC at the time, her own "rage" about the sexual objectification of women of all ages. This year, seven films in the main competition are by female directors. One of them, The Sound of Falling by German writer-director Mascha Schilinski, which premieres today, explores generational abuse of girls told through the story of one family. But it remains to be seen how many more films will address the topic of abuse during this festival. Beyond the films, Jackson says the atmosphere feels different at the 2025 festival, due to some high-profile cases that have sent shockwaves across France. Chief among them, in December, Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men were convicted of the rape, attempted rape and sexual assault of of Pelicot's 72-year-old wife Gisèle Pelicot. In February, director Christophe Ruggia was convicted of sexually assaulting Portrait of a Lady on Fire actor Adèle Haenel when she was a child; Haenel publicly quit the film industry in 2023, accusing it of "general complacency" towards sexual predators. Benoît Jacquot has been charged with raping two actors, which he denies. A wider shift in attitudes "There's a big change that's taking place within the French film industry and you can feel it here at Cannes," Jackson says. "And I think the fall of Depardieu really does represent this seismic change in France, that's perhaps come later than in Hollywood and the rest of the world, but it is here now. Young actors are calling out wrongdoing on set more and more, and someone like Ruggia received a four-year prison sentence (two years of which were suspended) for what he did to Adèle Haenel. They may not be international names in the way Depardieu is, but they're very significant to France. This idea of power play on film sets from actors and directors is no longer acceptable." More like this:• The meaning behind Cannes' 'naked dress' ban• France's divisive reckoning with MeToo• The terrifying stunts of a French film legend There's some way to go, however; last month a French Parliamentary report, led by French MP Sandrine Rousseau, found that abuse was "endemic" across the entire French entertainment industry, and that attitudes were "barely evolving" despite the #MeToo movement. The detailed report had 86 recommendations for change, including greater protections for child actors and the use of intimacy co-ordinators as standard for sex scenes in cinema, and theatre (as of December 2023, only four of them were reported as working across the whole of France, compared with 100 in the US entertainment industry). Depardieu also had some high-profile defenders; President Macron said in 2024 that the actor "made France proud". Seventy-six-year-old actor Fanny Ardant is one of his most steadfast supporters – Depardieu was absent from the verdict making a film with her in the Azores yesterday – and she came to court to support him, alongside his Cyrano de Bergerac co-star Vincent Perez. Brigitte Bardot, a French film star of the 1950s and 60s, also publicly defended him. But Jackson points to a reaction to an event during the Depardieu trial, which she says is significant of a societal shift. She says there was condemnation when Depardieu's lawyer Jérémie Assous accused the actor's two female victims in the court case, a 54-year-old set dresser and a 34-year-old assistant director, of "hysteria", being "liars" and working for the cause of "rabid feminism". "I think Depardieu is increasingly seen as from a different era and so are his lawyers," she says. "They were called sexist in the way they spoke to the plaintiffs, calling them feminists as if it was a bad thing. And it added to his troubles, because the judge called it out and imposed an extra fine [of €2,000] because of it. It highlights the generational shift that's happening in France. His supporters are actors from the older generation such as Ardant and Bardot." A few days before Depardieu's conviction, the 90-year-old Bardot publicly called the actor a "genius" on French TV, and deplored that "talented people who touch the bottom of a girl are consigned to the deepest dungeon". But this kind of attitude is seen by the young as archaic, says Jackson, and they are less aware of his reputation as a great actor. "For people over the age of perhaps 50 and 60, Depardieu evokes memories of being a great actor of a certain era, but I don't know how many younger people are interested in that story anymore," she says. -- If you liked this story sign up for The Essential List newsletter, a handpicked selection of features, videos and can't-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week. For more Culture stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Korea Herald
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
French actor Gerard Depardieu convicted of sexual assault and given 18-month suspended sentence
PARIS (AP) — French movie star Gerard Depardieu was convicted Tuesday of sexually assaulting two women on a set and received an 18-month suspended prison sentence in a case that was widely seen as a post-#MeToo test for the country's film industry. The 76-year-old Depardieu, one of the most prominent figures in French cinema for decades, must also pay both accusers a total of 29,040 euros (around $32,350) in fines, and the court ordered that his name be listed in the national sex offender database. The actor was convicted of groping a 54-year-old woman responsible for decorating the set and a 34-year-old assistant during the filming of "Les Volets Verts" ("The Green Shutters") in 2021. Depardieu, who has denied the accusations, did not attend the hearing in Paris. His lawyer said that his client would appeal the decision. The case offered a fresh assessment of how French society and its filmmakers would handle sexual misconduct allegations against a top actor in the wake of the #MeToo movement. One of the accusers, the set dresser, said she was "very much satisfied" with the verdict. "I'm very moved," she told reporters. "That's a victory for me, really, and a big progress, a step forward. I feel justice was made." Her lawyer, Carine Durrieu Diebolt, said "it is the victory of two women, and it is the victory of all women beyond this trial." "Today we hope to see the end of impunity for an artist in the world of cinema," Durrieu Diebolt said. "I think that with this decision, we can no longer say that he is not a sexual abuser. And today, as the Cannes Film Festival opens, I'd like the film world to spare a thought for Gerard Depardieu's victims." A suspended sentence means that Depardieu does not have to go to prison unless he commits another offense. Suspended sentences are common in France for a wide range of crimes. The court said it took into account Depardieu's age, his poor health and his criminal record, which included one prior unrelated conviction, although the court offered no details. Depardieu's long and storied career — he told the court that he's made more than 250 films — has turned him into a French movie giant. He was nominated for an Oscar in 1991 for his performance as the swordsman and poet Cyrano de Bergerac. In recent years, the actor has been accused publicly or in formal complaints of misconduct by more than 20 women, but so far only the sexual assault case has proceeded to court. Some other cases were dropped because of a lack of evidence or an expired statute of limitations. During the four-day trial in March, Depardieu rejected the accusations, saying he's "not like that." He acknowledged using vulgar and sexual language on the film set and that he grabbed the set dresser's hips during an argument, but denied that his behavior was sexual. The court, composed of a panel of three judges, concluded that Depardieu's explanations in court were "unpersuasive" and "not credible" and stressed both accusers' "constant, reiterated and substantiated declarations." The court also said that both plaintiffs have been faced with an "aggressive" defense strategy "based on comments meant to offend them." The judges therefore concluded that comments by Depardieu's lawyer in court aggravated the harm to the accusers and justified higher fines. Depardieu lawyer Jeremie Assous regretted that the court "considered that questioning the accusations is an additional assault ... which means that now the defense, even in this type of trial, is no longer accepted." The set dresser, whose duties could include choosing the furniture and paintings that will appear in a movie, said the actor used his legs as pincers to hold her as she squeezed past him in a narrow corridor. She said he grabbed her hips then started groping her behind and "in front, around." She ran her hands near her buttocks, hips and pubic area to show where she was touched. She said he then grabbed her chest. The woman also testified that Depardieu used an obscene expression to ask her to touch his penis and suggested he wanted to rape her. She told the court that the actor's calm and cooperative attitude during the trial bore no resemblance to his behavior at work. The other plaintiff, an assistant, said Depardieu groped her buttocks and breasts during three separate incidents on the film set. Some figures in the French cinema world have expressed their support for Depardieu. Actors Vincent Perez and Fanny Ardant were among those who took seats on his side of the courtroom. French media reported last week that Depardieu was shooting a film directed by Ardant in the Azores archipelago, in Portugal. The actor may have to face other legal proceedings soon. In 2018, actor Charlotte Arnould accused him of raping her at his home. That case is still active, and in August 2024 prosecutors requested that it go to trial. For more than a half-century, Depardieu stood as a towering figure in French cinema, a titan known for his commanding physical presence, instinct, sensibility and remarkable versatility. A bon vivant who overcame a speech impediment and a turbulent youth, Depardieu rose to prominence in the 1970s and became one of France's most prolific and acclaimed actors, portraying a vast array of characters, from volatile outsiders to deeply introspective figures. In recent years, his behavior toward women has come under renewed scrutiny, including after a documentary showed him repeatedly making obscene remarks and gestures during a 2018 trip to North Korea. Actor Juliette Binoche, who presides over the jury for the 78th Cannes Film Festival, said Tuesday that Depardieu is "apparently no longer sacred," adding "it makes us reflect on the power some people have."
Yomiuri Shimbun
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
French Actor Gérard Depardieu Convicted of Sexual Assault and Given 18-Month Suspended Sentence
AP file photo Actor Gerard Depardieu arrives to face trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, on March 24, 2025 in Paris. PARIS (AP) — French movie star Gérard Depardieu was convicted Tuesday of sexually assaulting two women on a set and received an 18-month suspended prison sentence in a case that was widely seen as a post-#MeToo test for the country's film industry. The 76-year-old Depardieu, one of the most prominent figures in French cinema for decades, must also pay both accusers a total of 29,040 euros (around $32,350) in fines, and the court ordered that his name be listed in the national sex offender database. The actor was convicted of groping a 54-year-old woman responsible for decorating the set and a 34-year-old assistant during the filming of 'Les Volets Verts' ('The Green Shutters') in 2021. Depardieu, who has denied the accusations, did not attend the hearing in Paris. His lawyer said that his client would appeal the decision. Accuser praises the verdict The case offered a fresh assessment of how French society and its filmmakers would handle sexual misconduct allegations against a top actor in the wake of the #MeToo movement. One of the accusers, the set dresser, said she was 'very much satisfied' with the verdict. 'I'm very moved,' she told reporters. 'That's a victory for me, really, and a big progress, a step forward. I feel justice was made.' Her lawyer, Carine Durrieu Diebolt, said 'it is the victory of two women, and it is the victory of all women beyond this trial.' 'Today we hope to see the end of impunity for an artist in the world of cinema,' Durrieu Diebolt said. 'I think that with this decision, we can no longer say that he is not a sexual abuser. And today, as the Cannes Film Festival opens, I'd like the film world to spare a thought for Gérard Depardieu's victims.' A suspended sentence means that Depardieu does not have to go to prison unless he commits another offense. Suspended sentences are common in France for a wide range of crimes. The court said it took into account Depardieu's age, his poor health and his criminal record, which included one prior unrelated conviction, although the court offered no details. Other misconduct allegations arose Depardieu's long and storied career — he told the court that he's made more than 250 films — has turned him into a French movie giant. He was nominated for an Oscar in 1991 for his performance as the swordsman and poet Cyrano de Bergerac. In recent years, the actor has been accused publicly or in formal complaints of misconduct by more than 20 women, but so far only the sexual assault case has proceeded to court. Some other cases were dropped because of a lack of evidence or an expired statute of limitations. During the four-day trial in March, Depardieu rejected the accusations, saying he's 'not like that.' He acknowledged using vulgar and sexual language on the film set and that he grabbed the set dresser's hips during an argument, but denied that his behavior was sexual. The court, composed of a panel of three judges, concluded that Depardieu's explanations in court were 'unpersuasive' and 'not credible' and stressed both accusers' 'constant, reiterated and substantiated declarations.' The court also said that both plaintiffs have been faced with an 'aggressive' defense strategy 'based on comments meant to offend them.' The judges therefore concluded that comments by Depardieu's lawyer in court aggravated the harm to the accusers and justified higher fines. Depardieu lawyer Jérémie Assous regretted that the court 'considered that questioning the accusations is an additional assault … which means that now the defense, even in this type of trial, is no longer accepted.' The two accusers testified in court The set dresser, whose duties could include choosing the furniture and paintings that will appear in a movie, said the actor used his legs as pincers to hold her as she squeezed past him in a narrow corridor. She said he grabbed her hips then started groping her behind and 'in front, around.' She ran her hands near her buttocks, hips and pubic area to show where she was touched. She said he then grabbed her chest. The woman also testified that Depardieu used an obscene expression to ask her to touch his penis and suggested he wanted to rape her. She told the court that the actor's calm and cooperative attitude during the trial bore no resemblance to his behavior at work. The other plaintiff, an assistant, said Depardieu groped her buttocks and breasts during three separate incidents on the film set. The Associated Press does not identify by name people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they consent to be named. Neither woman has done so in this case, although one has agreed to be pictured. Some expressed support for Depardieu Some figures in the French cinema world have expressed their support for Depardieu. Actors Vincent Perez and Fanny Ardant were among those who took seats on his side of the courtroom. French media reported last week that Depardieu was shooting a film directed by Ardant in the Azores archipelago, in Portugal. The actor may have to face other legal proceedings soon. In 2018, actor Charlotte Arnould accused him of raping her at his home. That case is still active, and in August 2024 prosecutors requested that it go to trial. For more than a half-century, Depardieu stood as a towering figure in French cinema, a titan known for his commanding physical presence, instinct, sensibility and remarkable versatility. A bon vivant who overcame a speech impediment and a turbulent youth, Depardieu rose to prominence in the 1970s and became one of France's most prolific and acclaimed actors, portraying a vast array of characters, from volatile outsiders to deeply introspective figures. In recent years, his behavior toward women has come under renewed scrutiny, including after a documentary showed him repeatedly making obscene remarks and gestures during a 2018 trip to North Korea. Actor Juliette Binoche, who presides over the jury for the 78th Cannes Film Festival, said Tuesday that Depardieu is 'apparently no longer sacred,' adding 'it makes us reflect on the power some people have.'
1News
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 1News
French actor Gérard Depardieu convicted of sexual assault
French movie star Gérard Depardieu was convicted Wednesday of sexually assaulting two women on a set and received an 18-month suspended prison sentence in a case that was widely seen as a post-#MeToo test for the country's film industry. The 76-year-old Depardieu, one of the most prominent figures in French cinema for decades, must also pay both accusers a total of €29,040 (NZ$54,679) in fines, and the court ordered that his name be listed in the national sex offender database. The actor was convicted of groping a 54-year-old woman responsible for decorating the set and a 34-year-old assistant during the filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) in 2021. Depardieu, who has denied the accusations, did not attend the hearing in Paris. His lawyer said that his client would appeal the decision. The case offered a fresh assessment of how French society and its filmmakers would handle sexual misconduct allegations against a top actor in the wake of the #MeToo movement. One of the accusers, the set dresser, said she was 'very much satisfied' with the verdict. 'I'm very moved,' she told reporters. 'That's a victory for me, really, and a big progress, a step forward. I feel justice was made.' Her lawyer, Carine Durrieu Diebolt, said 'it is the victory of two women, and it is the victory of all women beyond this trial". 'Today we hope to see the end of impunity for an artist in the world of cinema," Durrieu Diebolt said. "I think that with this decision, we can no longer say that he is not a sexual abuser. And today, as the Cannes Film Festival opens, I'd like the film world to spare a thought for Gérard Depardieu's victims." A suspended sentence means that Depardieu does not have to go to prison unless he commits another offence. Suspended sentences are common in France for a wide range of crimes. The court said it took into account Depardieu's age, his poor health and his criminal record, which included one prior unrelated conviction, although the court offered no details. Depardieu's long and storied career — he told the court that he's made more than 250 films — has turned him into a French movie giant. He was nominated for an Oscar in 1991 for his performance as the swordsman and poet Cyrano de Bergerac. In recent years, the actor has been accused publicly or in formal complaints of misconduct by more than 20 women, but so far only the sexual assault case has proceeded to court. Some other cases were dropped because of a lack of evidence or an expired statute of limitations. During the four-day trial in March, Depardieu rejected the accusations, saying he's 'not like that'. He acknowledged using vulgar and sexual language on the film set and that he grabbed the set dresser's hips during an argument, but denied that his behaviour was sexual. The court, composed of a panel of three judges, concluded that Depardieu's explanations in court were 'unpersuasive' and 'not credible" and stressed both accusers' 'constant, reiterated and substantiated declarations'. The court also said that both plaintiffs have been faced with an 'aggressive' defence strategy 'based on comments meant to offend them'. The judges therefore concluded that comments by Depardieu's lawyer in court aggravated the harm to the accusers and justified higher fines. Depardieu's lawyer, Jérémie Assous, regretted that the court 'considered that questioning the accusations is an additional assault ... which means that now the defence, even in this type of trial, is no longer accepted." The set dresser, whose duties could include choosing the furniture and paintings that will appear in a movie, said the actor used his legs as pincers to hold her as she squeezed past him in a narrow corridor. She said he grabbed her hips then started groping her behind and 'in front, around.' She ran her hands near her buttocks, hips and pubic area to show where she was touched. She said he then grabbed her chest. The woman also testified that Depardieu used an obscene expression to ask her to touch his penis and suggested he wanted to rape her. She told the court that the actor's calm and cooperative attitude during the trial bore no resemblance to his behaviour at work. The other plaintiff, an assistant, said Depardieu groped her buttocks and breasts during three separate incidents on the film set. The Associated Press does not identify by name people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they consent to be named. Neither woman has done so in this case, although one has agreed to be pictured. Some figures in the French cinema world have expressed their support for Depardieu. Actors Vincent Perez and Fanny Ardant were among those who took seats on his side of the courtroom. French media reported last week that Depardieu was shooting a film directed by Ardant in the Azores archipelago, in Portugal. The actor may have to face other legal proceedings soon. In 2018, actor Charlotte Arnould accused him of raping her at his home. That case is still active, and in August 2024 prosecutors requested that it go to trial. For more than a half-century, Depardieu stood as a towering figure in French cinema, a titan known for his commanding physical presence, instinct, sensibility and remarkable versatility. A bon vivant who overcame a speech impediment and a turbulent youth, Depardieu rose to prominence in the 1970s and became one of France's most prolific and acclaimed actors, portraying a vast array of characters, from volatile outsiders to deeply introspective figures. In recent years, his behaviour toward women has come under renewed scrutiny, including after a documentary showed him repeatedly making obscene remarks and gestures during a 2018 trip to North Korea. Actor Juliette Binoche, who presides over the jury for the 78th Cannes Film Festival, said that Depardieu is 'apparently no longer sacred', adding 'it makes us reflect on the power some people have'.
