On May 13, local time, the Paris Criminal Court found French actor Gérard Depardieu guilty of sexual assault. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation, a fine of 20,000 euros, and became a registered sex offender. Depardieu himself did not attend the sentencing, and his lawyer said he would appeal.
Depardieu
Depardieu, 76, is well known to audiences around the world for his roles in films such as Cyrano de Bergerac, The Last Metro, A Love Story, Rodin and La Vie en Rose. Since 2018, he has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by more than 20 women, but most of them have been unable to take legal action due to the statute of limitations and lack of evidence.
The two female filmmakers who filed the lawsuit were Amelie, who served as the set designer for the 2021 film "Green Blinds," and Sarah, who served as an assistant director. In the end, Depardieu was found guilty for the first time. It is generally believed that this case, like the victory of actress Adèle Haenel in accusing director Christophe Luquia of sexual assault in February this year, is an important milestone in the anti-sexual assault movement in France in recent years.
The case was heard on March 24 this year, and Depardieu himself appeared in court. The trial ended on March 27. The prosecution finally proposed a sentence lower than the maximum sentence for the related sexual assault charges (five years in prison plus a fine of 75,000 euros), and only asked for an 18-month suspended prison sentence, a fine of 20,000 euros and civil compensation, and required Depardieu to receive psychological treatment, cancel his acting qualifications for two years, and register in the sex offender file.
Judging from the final verdict, Depardieu's statement in court that he "accidentally grabbed the other person's buttocks when he almost slipped" was obviously not recognized by the judge. The judge still accepted most of the prosecution's claims, but Depardieu's acting qualification was not revoked.
Fanny Ardant (left) and Depardieu
In fact, as soon as the hearing in March ended, Depardieu has been filming a new work directed by his old friend Fanny Ardant in Portugal since April. During the trial, Ardant also appeared in court to defend him, saying, "I have never seen him do anything inappropriate. I am a woman myself, and I have experienced similar things. I have slapped people and said insulting words. But one thing I know very well is that you can say no to Gerard."
What is certain is that the sexual assault allegations against Depardieu will not be put to rest with the verdict of this case. Later this year, the former French national treasure actor may appear in court again for the rape accusation filed by actress Charlotte Arnould in 2018.
