The trial of G\u00e9rard Depardieu, who has been accused of sexually assaulting two women on a movie set in 2021, is set to resume on Monday after a five-month delay due to the French actor\u2019s poor health. <\/p>\n
The 76-year-old actor faces charges of allegedly assaulting the women while filming \u201cLes Volets Verts,\u201d or \u201cThe Green Shutters\u201d. <\/p>\n
Depardieu was accused in both cases of using \u201cviolence, coercion, surprise, or threat\u201d in the alleged assaults, by trapping the victims between his legs and groping their buttocks, genitals, and chest\u201d over their clothing according to the Paris prosecutor\u2019s office. <\/p>\n
Carine Durrieu-Diebolt, a lawyer of one of the women, said her client was seeking \u201ca recognition of the facts\u201d in light of Depardieu\u2019s denials. She said the two women are waiting for \u201cjudicial recognition, an official acknowledgement by the justice system that they were victims of sexual assaults.\u201d <\/p>\n
With more than 240 films under his belt, Depardieu is one of France\u2019s most prolific and famous actors. Internationally, he is known for his roles in films like \u201cGreen Card,\u201d \u201cThe Man in the Iron Mask\u201d and \u201cLife of Pi.\u201d He was also nominated for an Oscar in 1991 for his role in \u201cCyrano de Bergerac.\u201d <\/p>\n
In a separate case, the actor is facing charges of rape and sexual assault against actress Charlotte Arnould, allegedly committed in August 2018, according to the prosecutor\u2019s office. <\/p>\n
The French actor has denied all accusations against him. \u201cNever, absolutely never, have I abused a woman,\u201d he wrote in a letter published in France\u2019s Le Figaro newspaper in October 2023. \u201cHurting a woman would be like kicking my own mother in the stomach,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n
Months later, French President Emmanuel Macron drew criticism after describing Depardieu\u2019s situation as a \u201cmanhunt\u201d in comments on French TV and expressing his admiration for \u201can immense actor\u201d who is \u201cmaking France proud.\u201d <\/p>\n
The support was not well received by many in France, including by former president Fran\u00e7ois Hollande who declared: \u201cNo, we are not proud of G\u00e9rard Depardieu! \u2026 what was expected of the President of the Republic was to talk about the women rather than stating that G\u00e9rard Depardieu is a great actor.\u201d <\/p>\n
Macron later walked back his remarks, in an interview with ELLE magazine in May 2024, insisting he \u201cnever defended an aggressor against its victims\u201d but that the presumption of innocence should be respected. <\/p>\n
Investigative journalist Marine Turchi has interviewed more than 20 women who allegedly faced sexual harassment or attacks at the hands of the actor, with some testimonies of abuse dating back to 1985. Some of these allegations would be subject to the statute of limitations; Depardieu denies all the claims made. <\/p>\n
Turchi believes France\u2019s smaller film industry \u2013 in comparison to Hollywood \u2013 makes speaking up harder. \u201cYou can very quickly be identified as the person who spoke up, someone who might be seen as a bit troublesome,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
In 2013, Depardieu set up residence in the Belgian village of N\u00e9chin, adjacent to the border with France. The small town with a population of just over 2,000 people initially welcomed him as an honorary citizen, but he was stripped of the title in 2023 following the allegations of sexual misconduct. <\/p>\n
Investigators suspect that the actor never lived there and the property was set up to avoid paying taxes in France. Searches were carried out in France and Belgium last month to determine if his Belgian tax domicile was fictitious. <\/p>\n
Monday\u2019s sexual assault trial is scheduled to last two days, with a verdict expected a few weeks after. If found guilty, the French actor could face up to five years in prison and a \u20ac75,000 ($81,000) fine. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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