French Actor Gerard Depardieu Faces Criminal Trial for Alleged Sexual Assaults

French actor Gerard Depardieu is set to face a criminal trial later this year over alleged sexual assaults that occurred on a movie set in 2021, according to French prosecutors.

Depardieu’s lawyer, Christian Saint-Palais, refrained from making statements to the press following the actor’s questioning by police in Paris on Monday.

The Paris public prosecutor’s office announced that Depardieu has been summoned to appear before the criminal court after the recent questioning. The trial is scheduled to commence in October concerning sexual assaults that reportedly occurred in September 2021 during filming of the movie The Green Shutters.

Prior to this, in February, a female movie decorator filed a sexual assault complaint against Depardieu, accusing him of groping her during the filming of Les Volets Verts, translated to The Green Shutters in English.

Additionally, in a distressing revelation last year, 13 women who had worked with Depardieu spoke out, detailing experiences of inappropriate advances, groping, and gestures.

Depardieu previously faced preliminary rape and sexual assault charges in 2020 following allegations from actress Charlotte Arnould; the investigation concluded on April 17, resulting in the case being sent to the Paris public prosecutor’s office for further review.

In a public denial last year, Depardieu vehemently refuted the rape and sexual assault accusations, stressing that he has never mistreated a woman.

Famous for his roles in iconic films such as Cyrano de Bergerac, Jean de Florette, Green Card, and The Man In The Iron Mask, Depardieu has a storied career spanning over six decades with over 200 films to his credit.

This development comes amidst a wave of #MeToo awareness in French cinema, as highlighted by actress Judith Godreche‘s impassioned plea for addressing sexual violence during the Cesar Awards.