French actor Gerard Depardieu was expected in court as his trial over alleged sexual assaults on a film set began, placing the internationally recognized star at the center of France's ongoing reckoning with sexual violence.
A prominent figure in French cinema, Depardieu, 76, has faced an increasing number of sexual assault allegations in recent years, all of which he has denied. This is his first trial related to such claims.
"He has obviously denied it from the beginning," said Depardieu's lawyer, Jeremie Assous, on French radio RMC.
Assous confirmed that Depardieu would attend the trial, which is anticipated to last up to three days, following the postponement of an earlier hearing last October due to the actor's health issues.
"Like any person facing trial, he has the right to speak. He will finally speak," Assous added.
Prosecutors allege that the assaults against two unnamed women occurred during the 2021 filming of "Les Volets Verts" (The Green Shutters). They claim Depardieu groped one woman on set, pulling her towards him and trapping her with his legs while touching her waist, hips, and breasts, accompanied by lewd remarks. Three witnesses reportedly observed the incident.
The second woman is alleged to have been groped by Depardieu both on set and in the street.
A lawyer for one of the women indicated that her client had been hesitant to come forward against Depardieu, while responses from the second woman's lawyer were not available.
This trial could emerge as one of the highest-profile cases in the #MeToo movement in France, a country where the protest against sexual violence has not achieved the same traction as in the United States. However, recent events show a shift in this dynamic.
Gisele Pelicot voluntarily waived her anonymity during her ex-husband’s trial, where he was convicted of drugging her and facilitating the sexual abuse by numerous men. Additionally, a French court recently convicted a perpetrator of sexually abusing actress Adele Haenel when she was a minor.