(27 Mar 2025)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris – 27 March 2025
1. Gérard Depardieu arrives at court for fourth day of sexual assault trial
2. Actor Vincent Perez arrives, enters door on the defense side
STORYLINE:
Gérard Depardieu arrived at court on Thursday for the fourth day of the sexual assault trial that has taken France by storm.
Depardieu, 76, is accused of groping a 54-year-old set dresser and a 34-year-old assistant during filming in 2021 of “Les Volets Verts” (“The Green Shutters”). He denies any sexual assault.
The third day of the trial, Wednesday, focused on the testimony of the younger plaintiff, who detailed three separate incidents. She said Depardieu first groped her bottom when she was alone with him for a brief moment as they were heading towards the film set.
Depardieu repeatedly denied the allegations on Wednesday in court, saying: “I’m not like that.”
Depardieu acknowledged in court Tuesday that he had used vulgar and sexualized language with the set dresser who accused him of sexual assault. He said he grabbed her hips during an argument, but denied that his behavior was sexual.
This week’s trial is the first time one of the more than 20 accusations of misconduct against Depardieu has reached court. Some cases were dropped because of a lack of evidence or the statute of limitations.
He denies all allegations. “Never, but never, have I abused a woman,” he wrote in Le Figaro. “I have only ever been guilty of being too loving, too generous, or having a temperament that is too strong.”
Once a symbol of France’s creative power, Depardieu now represents the nation’s delayed reckoning with #MeToo. The courtroom has become the stage for a country confronting the myths it has told itself about art and powerful men.
Some figures in the French cinema world have expressed their support towards Depardieu, with Fanny Ardant testifying for the actor Wednesday and Vincent Perez coming to court on Thursday.
The actor faces up to five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros ($81,000) if convicted. The verdict isn’t expected immediately after the trial.
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