Gerard Depardieu: French actor’s sexual assault trial opens in Paris

Depardieu was not contiguous astatine the proceedings owed to sick health, according to his lawyer.

The proceedings of French histrion Gerard Depardieu connected intersexual battle charges has opened successful his absence, who has declared himself to beryllium ill.

His lawyer, Jeremie Assous, said earlier that Depardieu, 75, was “extremely affected” by sick wellness and had asked for proceedings to beryllium delayed until helium could be successful person.

“Unfortunately, his doctors person forbidden him from appearing present today,” the lawyer said erstwhile arriving astatine the proceedings successful Paris connected Monday.

Assous said helium would inquire the tribunal for a six-month suspension of the trial, pursuing galore different complaints and with a imaginable 2nd tribunal lawsuit already pending.

Depardieu is the highest illustration fig to look accusations successful France’s equivalent of the #MeToo movement, triggered initially successful 2017 by allegations against US shaper Harvey Weinstein.

The histrion faces charges of maltreatment that allegedly occurred during a 2021 movie shoot. The names of the 2 women accusing him person not been made public.

Prosecutors impeach Depardieu of groping 1 of the women connected the movie set, pulling her towards him and trapping her with his legs earlier touching her waist, hips and breasts portion saying obscene words. They accidental that 3 radical witnessed the scene.

Depardieu groped the 2nd pistillate connected set, and successful the street, prosecutors allege.

French histrion Gerard Depardieu has been charged with alleged rape and intersexual assault. [File: Tobias Schwarz/AFP]

One of the plaintiffs, a acceptable dresser present aged 55, reported successful February that she had suffered intersexual assault, intersexual harassment and sexist insults portion filming manager Jean Becker’s Les Volet Verts, oregon The Green Shutters successful English in a backstage location successful Paris.

The plaintiff told French investigative website Mediapart that Depardieu had started loudly calling for a cooling instrumentality during the sprout due to the fact that helium “couldn’t adjacent get it up” successful the heat.

She claimed the histrion went connected to boast that helium could “give women an orgasm without touching them”.

The plaintiff alleged that an hr later, she was “brutally grabbed” by Depardieu arsenic she was walking disconnected the set.

The histrion pinned her by “closing his legs” astir her earlier groping her waist and her stomach, continuing up to her breasts, she added.

“I expect the justness strategy to beryllium the aforesaid for everybody and for monsieur Depardieu not to person peculiar attraction conscionable due to the fact that he’s an artist,” the plaintiff’s lawyer, Carine Durrieu-Diebolt, told AFP.

Assous said that Depardieu’s defence would connection “witnesses and grounds that volition amusement helium has simply been targeted by mendacious accusations”. He besides accused the plaintiff of attempting to “make money” by claiming 30,000 euros ($32,500) successful compensation.

So far, astir 20 women person accused Depardieu of assorted intersexual offences.

In effect to the mounting fig of allegations against him, Depardieu past twelvemonth wrote successful the French blimpish Le Figaro newspaper, “I person never, ever abused a woman. Hurting a pistillate would beryllium similar kicking my ain parent successful the stomach.”

If recovered guilty, helium could look a imaginable five-year jailhouse condemnation and a 75,000 euros ($80,947.50) fine.