Reuters
–
A Paris court on Tuesday handed him an 18-month suspended prison sentence for French actor Gerard Despardou to sexually assault two women in a film set in 2021, falling from grace for a towering figure in French film.
In one of the best #MeToo cases that come before a French judge, DePardieu repeatedly denied the misconduct and said his lawyer would appeal the court’s decision.
Depardieu, 76, was a towering figure in French films, starring in more than 200 films over 50 years, including “Green Card,” “The Last Metro,” and “Cyrano de Bergerac.”
His trial marked a moment in consideration of the #MeToo protest against sexual violence that, despite the indication that social attitudes were changing, failed to gain the same traction as the US.
Amelie K, one of the two plaintiffs, is now a 54-year-old set decorator who told the court that the actor had clenched her entire body after being locked between her legs and made explicit sexual comments about the set in 2021.
“I was scared, he was laughing,” she said.
DePaldieu, who denied sexual assault, claimed in the court that she had not considered putting her hands on someone’s butt department, claiming that some women were too easily shocked.
Upon his judgment, Presiding Judge Thierry Donald said of Depardou:
He ordered Depardieu, who was not in court for the sentencing, to be placed on the list of sex offenders.
Depardieu was prominently thought in the debate over the #MeToo movement in France as sexual assault allegations that highlighted how women are being treated in the film industry faced more and more sexual assault allegations.
Prosecutors say they should face trial in another rape investigation following the allegations brought by actress Charlotte Arnold, 29.
Not all women filed complaints, but more than a dozen women accused Depardeu of sexual violence.
Depardieu has consistently denied fraud. “Never, absolutely, I have never abused a woman,” he wrote in an open letter to the Daily Le Figaro newspaper in October 2023.
Depardieu’s trial exposed the generational disparity in France over sex discrimination.
During the investigation, a group of 50 French stars, including Cara Bruni, the wife of former President Nicholas Sarkozy, denounced what they called DePaldio’s “lynching.”
90-year-old Brigitte Bardot told BFM TV this week that he was “a talented person who gets a girl thrown into the ditch.”
Women’s rights campaigners say they saw a change in attitude in France – particularly following the case of Gisele Pericot, who was convicted last year for inviting dozens of men to rape her after slamming her unconsciously.
“It’s a real victory, a step forward. We’re making progress,” Amelie K told reporters after the verdict.
