PARIS (AP) 鈥� French movie star 鈥檚 fall from grace is now complete.
Depardieu further moved down from the pinnacle of French cinema Tuesday as he was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women on the set of a movie in which he starred in 2021 and given an 18-month suspended prison sentence. He was also fined a total of 29,040 euros (around $32,350), and the court requested that he be registered in the national sex offender database.
The actor, 76, has been convicted of having groped a 54-year-old set dresser and a 34-year-old assistant during the filming of 鈥淟es Volets Verts鈥� (鈥淭he Green Shutters鈥�). The case was widely seen as a key post-#MeToo test of how French society and its film industry address allegations of sexual misconduct involving prominent figures.
Depardieu, who has denied the accusations, didn't attend the hearing in Paris. Depardieu鈥檚 lawyer, J茅r茅mie Assous, said that his client would appeal the decision.
鈥淚t is the victory of two women, but it is the victory of all the women beyond this trial,鈥� said Carine Durrieu Diebolt, the set dresser's lawyer. 鈥淭oday we hope to see the end of impunity for an artist in the world of cinema. I think that with this decision we can no longer say that he is not a sexual abuser. And today, as the Cannes Film Festival opens, I鈥檇 like the film world to spare a thought for G茅rard Depardieu鈥檚 victims."
Accused by more than 20 women
Depardieu鈥檚 long and storied career 鈥� he told the court that he鈥檚 made more than 250 films 鈥� has turned him into a French movie giant. He was Oscar-nominated in 1991 for his performance as the swordsman and poet Cyrano de Bergerac.
In recent years, the actor has publicly or in formal complaints of misconduct by more than 20 women, but so far only the sexual assault case has proceeded to court. Some other cases were dropped because of a lack of evidence or the statute of limitations.
During the four-day trial in March, Depardieu rejected the accusations, saying he鈥檚 鈥渘ot like that.鈥� He acknowledged that he had used vulgar and sexualized language on the film set and that he during an argument, but denied that his behavior was sexual.
The court, composed of a panel of three judges, concluded that Depardieu鈥檚 explanations in court were 鈥渦npersuasive鈥� and 鈥渘ot credible" and stressed both accusers' 鈥渃onstant, reiterated and substantiated declarations.鈥�
The court also said that both plaintiffs have been faced with an 鈥渁ggressive鈥� defense strategy 鈥渂ased on comments meant to offend them.鈥� The judges therefore considered that Depardieu鈥檚 lawyer comments in court aggravated the harm to the accusers and justified higher fines.
The two accusers testified in court
The set dresser described the alleged assault, saying the actor pincered her between his legs as she squeezed past him in a narrow corridor.
She said he grabbed her hips then started 鈥減alpating鈥� her behind and 鈥渋n front, around.鈥� She ran her hands near her buttocks, hips and pubic area to show what she allegedly experienced. She said he then grabbed her chest.
The woman also testified that Depardieu used an obscene expression to ask her to touch his penis and suggested he wanted to rape her. She told the court that the actor鈥檚 calm and cooperative attitude during the trial bore no resemblance to his behavior at work.
The other plaintiff, an assistant, said that Depardieu groped her buttocks and her breasts during three separate incidents on the film set.
The Associated Press doesn鈥檛 identify by name people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they consent to be named. Neither women has done so in this case.
鈥淚鈥檓 very moved," one of the plaintiffs, the set dresser, told reporters after the verdict. 鈥淚鈥檓 very very much satisfied with the decision, that鈥檚 a victory for me, really, and a big progress, a step forward. I feel justice was made.鈥�
Some expressed support for Depardieu
Some figures in the French cinema world have expressed their support for Depardieu. Actors Vincent Perez and Fanny Ardant were among those who took seats on his side of the courtroom.
French media reported last week that Depardieu was shooting a film directed by Ardant in the Azores archipelago, in Portugal.
The actor may have to face other legal proceedings soon.
In 2018, actor Charlotte Arnould accused him of raping her at his home. That case is still active, and in August 2024 prosecutors requested that it go to trial.
For more than a half-century, Depardieu stood as a towering figure in French cinema, a titan known for his commanding physical presence, instinct, sensibility and remarkable versatility.
A bon vivant who overcame a speech impediment and a turbulent youth, Depardieu rose to prominence in the 1970s and became one of France鈥檚 most prolific and acclaimed actors, portraying a vast array of characters, from volatile outsiders to deeply introspective figures.
In recent years, his behavior toward women has come under renewed scrutiny, including after a documentary showed him repeatedly making during a 2018 trip to North Korea.
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Samuel Petrequin contributed to this report.
Sylvie Corbet, The Associated Press
