French actor Gerard Depardieu is facing an 18-month suspended prison sentence for the alleged sexual assaults of two women he worked with on the filming of “The Green Shutters” in 2021.
After a three-day-trial during which Depardieu denied all accusations, French prosecutors requested a suspended prison sentence along with a fine of 20,000 euros, as well as an obligation to undergo psychological treatment and registration in the sex offenders file.
Depardieu, long considered a leading figure of France’s cinematic history who has starred in over 150 films, including classics such as Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s “Cyrano de Bergerac,” has been accused by a set decorator and an assistant director on “The Green Shutters.”
As part of a separate case, the famous French actor has been, since Dec. 16, 2020, indicted over allegations of rape and sexual assault filed by actress Charlotte Arnould in 2018.
Last August, the Paris public prosecutor’s office requested in a final indictment that Depardieu be referred to the departmental criminal court to stand trial for rape by digital penetration and sexual assault that allegedly occurred on Aug. 7 and 13 of 2018. The examining magistrate now has to decide what direction to give to the proceedings. Depardieu, who has triggered a watershed moment for the #MeToo movement in France, was also accused by 13 women of sexually inappropriate behavior in a report published by French investigative news website Médiapart in April 2023.
More to come.
Source link
