French film star Gérard Depardieu found guilty of sexual assault

One of the most famous figures in French cinema, Gérard Depardieu, has been found guilty of sexual assault
(Picture: AP)

French actor Gérard Depardieu has been found guilty of sexual assault.

One of the highest-profile and most discussed #MeToo cases in France, a court in Paris found Depardieu guilty of sexual assault against two different women on a film set in 2021.

Depardieu had repeatedly denied all allegations made against him, but Judge Thierry Donard was unconvinced by Depardieu and his legal team.

The public prosecutor has asked the court to hand 76-year-old Depardieu a suspended 18-month prison sentence and a 20,000 euro fine (£16,811).

The court found that one of the victims, a set designer named Amélie, had given consistent evidence while the actor’s accounts had changed repeatedly. He has also been convicted of assaulting an assistant director identified as a woman named Sarah.

Amélie told the court that after a disagreement with Depardieu, he caught her between his legs and held her by the hips.

The actor reacted expressively during his trial in March (Picture: REUTERS) Depardieu denied all allegations made against him (Picture: Getty Images)

Sarah said the actor touched her rear and breasts through her clothes on three separate occasions.

Depardieu was working on a film set in the Azores at the time of the verdict reading, so he was absent.

At the end of the hearing in Paris in late March, prosecutor Laurent Guy said: ‘It’s perfectly possible to be an excellent actor and a great father – and still commit a crime.

‘You are not here to pass judgment on French cinema. You are here to judge Gérard Depardieu, just as you would any other citizen.’

The assaults took place in September 2021 on the set of a film called Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) in which Depardieu plays an aging actor.

This was Depardieu’s first trial on sexual assault charges, but several other alleged victims have made similar claims in the media against the actor.

Additionally, an alleged rape case against Depardieu could come to trial in the future.

At the end of the hearings, Depardieu said: ‘My name has been dragged through the mud by lies and insults.

‘A trial can be a very special experience for an actor. Seeing all this anger, the police, the press. It’s like being in a science fiction film, except it’s not science fiction. It’s life.’

This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

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