French cinema star Gérard Depardieu faces a possible suspended prison term and registration as a sex offender if he is found guilty of assault today.
During his trial six weeks ago, the court heard testimonies from two women who accused the 76-year-old actor of groping them while working on a film set in Paris in 2021. Depardieu denies these allegations.
In his closing statement on 27 March, prosecutor Laurent Guy stated, “It is entirely possible to be an excellent actor and a great father and still commit a crime.”
“Your role here is not to pass judgment on French cinema. Your role is to judge Gérard Depardieu, just as you would any other citizen.”
The prosecutor requested an 18-month suspended prison sentence, a €20,000 (£16,850) fine, and registration on the sex offenders’ list.
Claude Vincent, representing one of the two women plaintiffs, described Depardieu as a “misogynist” and a “case study in sexism”.
However, for the defense, Jérémie Assous demanded an acquittal and argued that the plaintiffs’ team was “more militants than lawyers”.
“They cannot bear the idea of a defense. They think any defense is an additional assault,” he informed the court.
The alleged assaults occurred in September 2021 when Depardieu was working on a film titled Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters), which is about an aging actor dealing with his declining abilities.
This was the first time the actor faced court on sexual assault charges. Several other women have made similar allegations in the media, and an alleged rape case could come to trial.
The first plaintiff, a set decorator, informed the court that after a minor argument with Depardieu, he trapped her between his legs and held her by the hips.
The second woman, an assistant director, claimed that the actor touched her buttocks and breasts through her clothes on three separate occasions.
Depardieu denied the allegations, stating only that he might have touched the women accidentally or to maintain his balance.
Concluding the hearings, Depardieu stated, “My name has been tarnished by lies and insults.”
“A trial can be a very unique experience for an actor. Witnessing all this anger, the police, the press. It’s like being in a science fiction film, except it’s not science fiction. It’s reality.”
He expressed gratitude to the prosecution and defense teams for providing him insights into how courts operate. “These lessons may one day inspire me to play a lawyer in a role,” he added.
Depardieu disclosed that he hasn’t acted for three years since the sexual allegations against him began to circulate.
However, it was reported this month that he had commenced work in the Azores on a film directed by his friend, the actress Fanny Ardant. Depardieu is portraying a magician on a mysterious island, according to media reports.
Ardant appeared with Depardieu in Les Volets Verts and delivered a defense statement at the trial.
“Genius – in whatever form it takes – inherently contains elements of the extravagant, the untamed, the dangerous. (Depardieu) is both the monster and the saint,” she asserted.
Another veteran French actress, Brigitte Bardot, 90, supported Depardieu on Monday. In a rare interview with French television, she regretted how “talented individuals who touch a girl’s buttocks are relegated to the darkest dungeons.”
“Feminism isn’t my cup of tea,” Bardot stated. “Personally, I enjoy men.”
