#MeToo, French Style: Controversial Film Star Gérard Depardieu on Trial for Sexual Assault
On the one hand, there are many who feel the reckoning brought about by the #metoo movement into the film, TV and music industries has no place in a society like France.
On the other hand, there are the many victims of rape and sexual assault – and those who support them.
Controversial film star Gérard Depardieu was caught in the middle of these two different forces.
Depardieu will face two women who accuse him of sexual assault in a Paris courtroom tomorrow, and will confront a nation with a tradition of ‘laissez faire’ when it comes to sex crimes perpetrated by the rich and famous.
Associated Press reported:
“Depardieu, 76, is accused of assaulting a set dresser and an assistant director during the 2021 filming of ‘Les Volets Verts’ (‘The Green Shutters’). While more than 20 women have publicly accused him of sexual misconduct, this is the first time one of those cases has gone to trial.”
This trial will test if a country proud of its ‘culture of seduction’ will hold a ‘cultural titan’ accountable.
“Prosecutors say Depardieu trapped one of the women with his legs before groping her waist and breasts in front of witnesses. In an interview with investigative outlet Mediapart, the 54-year-old set dresser said Depardieu shouted on set that he ‘couldn’t even get it up’ because of the heat, then told her: ‘Come and touch my big parasol. I’ll stick it in your (nether regions)’. She said he then grabbed her forcefully and had to be pulled away by bodyguards.”
An assistant director also alleged she was groped both on set and in the street.
The names of the plaintiffs’ have not been disclosed to protect alleged victims of sexual violence.
Depardieu has strenuously denied all allegations.
“In an open letter published in Le Figaro in Oct. 2023, he wrote: ‘Never, but never, have I abused a woman. To think that I have hurt someone or made them feel uncomfortable is intolerable to me’. He added, ‘I have only ever been guilty of being too loving, too generous, or of having a temperament that is too strong’.”
The actor — who recently underwent a quadruple bypass and has diabetes — will attend the two-day trial, organized with breaks scheduled to accommodate his poor health.
“Roman Polanski, convicted in the United States of unlawful sex with a minor and accused by several other women, continues to live and work in France with near-total impunity. Despite international outcry, he remains a decorated figure in French cinema. His 2020 César Award for Best Director — for ‘An Officer and a Spy’ — prompted several women, including actress Adèle Haenel, to walk out of the ceremony in protest.”
Respected actress Anouk Grinberg, who appeared in ‘Les Volets Verts’, is supporting the plaintiffs.
She describes Depardieu’s behavior as ‘vulgar and disturbing’, adding that she felt ‘a sense of shame’ on set.
“At the time of the alleged 2021 assaults, Depardieu was already under formal investigation for rape. In 2018, actor Charlotte Arnould accused him of raping her at his home. That case is still active, and in August 2024, prosecutors requested it go to trial.”
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