Gérard Depardieu was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women during a film shoot in 2021, The New York Times reports.
The French actor received an 18-month suspended sentence, and his name will be added to the national sex offender registry. Depardieu will also face civil penalties, with the judge ruling that he will have to pay one victim damages of €15,000 (about $17,000) and €14,040 (about $15,600) to the other.
One of Depardieu’s two accusers, identified only by her first name Amélie, said of the ruling, “For me, it’s a victory, truly. We are moving forward.”
Her lawyer, Carine Durrieu Diebolt, said she hoped the ruling would bring about the “end of impunity for artists in the film industry,” adding: “I’ve heard some actors recently still supporting Depardieu. Now with this verdict, no one can say Gérard Depardieu is not a sexual predator, and that’s very important.”
Depardieu was not in court when the verdict was read. His lawyer, Jérémie Assous, said the actor would appeal the decision.
“It is worth noting that the trial court deliberately dismissed all investigative requests — including witness hearings, a site visit, and a reconstruction — with the clear intention of paving the way for a conviction,” Assous said in a statement. “Such a decision cannot withstand appellate scrutiny and is bound to be overturned by the Court of Appeal.”
Depardieu has faced numerous accusations of sexual assault — which he has repeatedly denied — with the allegations against him receiving renewed attention in 2023 thanks to an extensive report by Mediapart and a French TV documentary. French prosecutors eventually brought charges against Depardieu based on allegations made by a set decorator (the woman identified as Amélie) and an assistant director (who remains anonymous) who worked with the actor on the film The Green Shutters.
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During the trial, Amélie testified that Depardieu grabbed her hips in a narrow corridor and started touching her, pointing to her buttocks, hip, and pubic area. She also alleged that Depardieu grabbed her chest and, at one point, asked her to touch his penis with obscene language and suggested that he wanted to rape her.
“I saw in his eyes pleasure in frightening, that’s what I felt, it’s savagery,” she said. “He terrified me, and that amused him.”
The assistant director, meanwhile, said that Depardieu touched her breasts and buttock on several occasions. One incident, she said, occurred during a night shoot in Paris, while another took place at an apartment, where she said Depardieu blocked her against a door and put his hands on her chest. “I said no,” the assistant director said in court. “I was scared” (via The Guardian).
Depardieu testified in his own defense during the trial. At one point, he admitted that he used some vulgar and sexualized language with Amélie and grabbed her hips during an argument over a painting. He also seemed to acknowledge a tendency to bad behavior, and described his actions on set as a “type of aggression.” But he remained adamant that his behavior was “certainly not sexual,” proclaiming at one point, “I don’t touch women’s butts.”
From Rolling Stone US
