French actor faces trial over allegations from 2021 film set
Gérard Depardieu, the acclaimed 76-year-old French actor, admitted in court on Tuesday to grabbing a woman by the hips but denied that his actions amounted to sexual assault.
Depardieu, who is standing trial for the first time amid a series of sexual misconduct allegations, told the court that he had been in a bad mood at the time and insisted that his comments and actions were not intended as harassment.
“I grabbed her hips,” he acknowledged, referring to set decorator Amélie K., who later accused him of assault. However, he claimed that he had only done so to steady himself and did not mention the incident during police questioning.
Gérard Depardieu argued that his frustration stemmed from the plaintiff’s work rather than any personal animosity. He dismissed accusations that he had groped her, stating that his weight at the time would have made such actions impossible.
If convicted, Depardieu could face up to five years in prison and a €75,000 ($81,000) fine.
Plaintiff testifies to alleged assault
Amélie K. gave a starkly different account, telling the court that Gérard Depardieu had forcibly touched her all over her body, including her breasts, while making explicit sexual comments. She described feeling terrified and unable to escape until someone intervened.
Prosecutors, who corroborated her account with witness testimonies, also allege that Depardieu groped another woman both on set and in public during the filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) in 2021.
Gérard Depardieu’s trial is one of France’s most high-profile #MeToo cases and is expected to last several days. Initially scheduled for October, the proceedings were postponed due to his health issues.