Gérard Depardieu is set to attend court on Tuesday to await the verdict of his trial, accused of sexually harassing two women during the production of a film in 2021.
De Verdun, at 76, stands as the most prominent individual within the French film industry to confront such allegations following the inception of the #MeToo movement. If he is found guilty, he might be looking at a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment alongside a fine amounting to €75,000 (£63,000).
The complaint has been lodged against him for the alleged sexual harassment of a 54-year-old set designer and a 34-year-old assistant director while they were working on Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) in Paris during 2021. Depardieu has resoundingly denied these charges, stating he was “thrown into disrepute through slander and lies” in his defense.
The set designer, known only as Amélie, reports Depardieu of confining her between his legs on set, grabbing her backside, pubis, and chest. She elaborated that he held her firmly, used crude language, and required force to be pulled away from her.
Amélie relayed to the Paris criminal court, “It was the reality that he knew I was frightened—his eyes sparked with a sort of pleasure in scaring someone. I can recall that brutality. He genuinely frightened me, and that pleased him.”
The incident reportedly occurred while she was on set trying to locate parasols for the filming. “Then I realized how strong he was; he held me very, very tightly,” she said. “I remember his eyes—seeing his large face, his red eyes, very angry, very agitated. He was saying: ‘Come touch my big parasol,’ in a manic tone.”
In addition to Amélie’s testimony, Depardieu faces charges of sexually harassing an assistant director, whose name has been withheld in the press. She informed the court that Depardieu fondled and improperly touched her on three separate occasions.
Depardieu confessed in court to sometimes using lewd language on set, comparing it to a parent disciplining their child with phrases like “Dick! Pussy!”, while vehemently denying any acts of sexual harassment.
Laurent Guy, the state prosecutor, criticized Depardieu for his lack of introspection and vehement denial during the trial. He argued that the assault on the set designer was undoubtedly an act of sexual harassment, corroborated by three witnesses.
The prosecutor maintained that the incidents involving the assistant director constituted sexual harassment which, at the time, were known among the crew members.
The lawyers for the accusers labeled Depardieu as a “sexual predator”, viewing him as an “all-powerful” celebrity who deliberately targeted junior women.
A 30-year-old actress, who testified as a witness, recounted an incident from the Netflix series Marseille, where Depardieu reportedly put his hand inside her shorts and underwear against her skin; when she resisted, he responded, “What? I thought you wanted to succeed in cinema,” as the court heard.
Depardieu countered that the media had exploited these allegations to erode his professional standing. During his trial, he also criticized the #MeToo movement and the women who protested outside his concert tour, stating, “This movement will become a terror”.
His lawyer, Jérémie Assous, defended Depardieu, suggesting that the complainants were lying and part of a scheme to discredit a celebrated individual. “Nowadays, to be charged with sexual harassment has a social annihilation effect; it neutralizes you, kills you off socially,” Assous said.
The Paris prosecutor’s office has also requested that Depardieu be tried for rape and sexual harassment in another case filed by the actress Charlotte Arnould; no trial date has been set yet.
In an open letter to Le Figaro in 2023, Depardieu denied the allegations against Arnould, contending that any interaction they had was mutual.
