Depardieu was accused of groping two women on film set
Lawyer says health complications linked to diabetes
A French court postponed actor Gerard Depardieu's trial for the alleged sexual assault of two women on a film set in 2021 for five months on Monday after his lawyers argued he was too ill to defend himself. Depardieu, one of France's biggest film stars whose hits include Green Card, Cyrano de Bergerac and La Vie en Rose, has faced a growing number of sexual assault allegations in recent years that have tarnished his legacy.
His trial marks the highest-profile #MeToo case to come before the courts in France. In this country, the protest movement against sexual violence against women struggled to gain traction in the movie industry and laid bare broader divisions over sexism. Depardieu, 75, has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors say the alleged assaults took place during the filming of "Les Volets Verts" (The Green Shutters). They accuse Depardieu of groping one of the women on the film set, pulling her towards him, and trapping her with his legs before touching her waist, hips, and breasts whilst saying obscene words. They say that three people witnessed the scene. Depardieu groped the second woman on set, and in the street, prosecutors allege.
French actress Anouk Grinberg looks on as she arrives to attend Gerard Depardieu's trial for two sexual assaults allegedly committed on the set of the film “Les Volets Verts”, at the courthouse in Paris, FranceReuters
Depardieu did not attend Monday's hearing when the trial was due to start. His lawyer told the court he was suffering from high blood pressure and issues related to long-term diabetes. In an emailed statement to Reuters, his lawyer, Jeremie Assous, said the actor, once he was well enough, would put forward witnesses and evidence that "demonstrate that he is the target of false accusations".
Ill Health
Inside a packed courtroom, actresses Charlotte Arnould, who has accused Depardieu of raping her in 2018 when she was 22, and Anouk Grinberg, who played alongside Depardieu in Les Volets Verts and has publicly criticized him over his sexual conduct, followed the proceedings.
The presiding judge, Thierry Donard, read Assous's request for a six-month postponement to allow Depardieu's health to improve. The court agreed to a five-month delay and ordered an independent medical check. Earlier, Assous told Reuters that Depardieu wished to be present, but his health forbade it.
"It's always in everybody's interest that justice be done in the presence of every party involved," said Claude Vincent, a lawyer for one of the alleged victims.
Gerard DepardieuIMDb
In response to mounting allegations against him, Depardieu last year wrote in the conservative Le Figaro newspaper: "I have never, ever abused a woman. Hurting a woman would be like kicking my mother in the stomach." Depardieu could face a five-year jail sentence and a 75,000 euros ($80,947.50) fine if found guilty.
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