Gerard Depardieu will not appear in French court over sexual assault charges

Paris
AP
—

French actor Gerard Depardieuwho is facing trial on charges of sexually assaulting two women on the set of a film in 2021, will not appear in a criminal court in Paris on Monday for health reasons, his lawyer said.

Depardieu, who denies any wrongdoing, is accused of using “violence, coercion, surprise or threats” in the alleged attacks, which prosecutors say took place on the set of “Les Volets verts” (“Green Shutters”).

Jérémie Assou’s lawyer said doctors say the actor’s health does not allow him to appear at the opening of the trial on Monday.

Depardieu is “deeply shocked and unfortunately his doctors are not allowing him to appear at the hearing,” Assou told France Info radio.

Assu said he would ask the court to postpone the trial because his client “wants to come, wants to express himself.”

Prosecutors say that in both cases, women reported that the 75-year-old actor pinned them between his legs and groped their buttocks, genitals, breasts and breasts over their clothing.

The trial was planned as France continues to reckon with sexual violence in the wake of the #MeToo movement, which initially struggled to find support, particularly in the film industry.

About 100 people gathered outside the court on Monday, some holding signs, responding to calls from several feminist groups to support victims of sexual assault. Some activists made their way into the courtroom and sat among other members of the public attending the hearing.

One of the reported victims was a 53-year-old production designer. The Associated Press does not routinely identify sexual assault victims without their consent.

According to Paris prosecutors, the woman told investigators that Depardieu had previously made sexually suggestive remarks and then one day as she walked past him, he “grabbed her, pulled her towards him, blocked her with his legs and groped her waist, hips and breasts, accompanying his gestures with obscene statements.”

Prosecutors said three people witnessed the incident and the woman tried to escape Depardieu’s grip and appeared “shocked.” They said she was examined by a psychiatrist and given seven days leave.

After the incident, Depardieu had to apologize. But in a television interview broadcast on Saturday, the woman said the actor was furious and accused her of causing trouble. Prosecutors said witnesses confirmed Depardieu’s words were not an apology.

In an interview with French online news site Mediapart, the production designer, who spoke on camera but gave only her first name, said the incident affected her personal and professional life for at least a year and a half. She said she had trouble sleeping, suffered from panic attacks and was losing weight.

The woman said it took her some time to file the complaint, but she decided to do so after hearing on television that there were no incidents during filming, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said a month before the incident, another woman who worked on the set complained about Depardieu.

The director’s assistant told investigators that Depardieu touched her buttocks several times. She said she expressed her disapproval and Depardieu responded by insulting her. The psychiatrist also granted her six days’ leave.

Assou, Depardieu’s lawyer, told the AP in an email Saturday that “the witnesses and evidence that Depardieu will present will show that he is the subject of false accusations.”

Many came out in support of Depardieu, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

Late last year, 56 French artists, writers and producers published an essay in defense of the movie star, saying that when “Gerard Depardieu is attacked in this way, the art (cinema) is under attack.”

Their call comes just weeks after national broadcaster France 2 released a documentary outlining sexual assault allegations against Depardieu by 16 women and showing the actor making lewd remarks and gestures during a 2018 trip to North Korea.

The footage shows Depardieu making moans and sexual comments in front of women, including a girl about 10 years old who is riding a horse. He can also be seen posing for a photo, saying he was “touching the bottom” of the North Korean interpreter next to him.

He was charged in 2021 with rape and sexual assault after authorities reopened a 2018 investigation that was initially dropped following allegations by actor Charlotte Arnoux.

In an open letter published in the conservative newspaper Le Figaro, Depardieu said last year: “I have never, ever insulted a woman.”

The actor has long been considered a national icon in France. He was a global ambassador for French cinema and enjoyed international fame for several roles in Hollywood.

Earlier this year, actress Judith Godrèche called on the French film industry to “face the facts” about sexual and physical abuse during the Cesar Awards, France’s version of the Oscars.

Godrèche previously alleged that two famous directors sexually abused her when she was a teenager, causing fresh shock in the film industry.

Most recently, the country was rocked by the ongoing trial of 50 men accused of raping a woman whose husband drugged her into unconsciousness. Protests erupted across the country over the weekend in support of the victim, a mother and grandmother in her early 70s who has become a hero to many sexual assault victims for insisting her trial be open to the public.