Gerard Depardieu has been found guilty of sexual assault on two women on a film set, at a trial in Paris. French actor Depardieu has been sentenc
Gerard Depardieu has been found guilty of sexual assault on two women on a film set, at a trial in Paris.
French actor Depardieu has been sentenced to an 18-month suspended jail term.
The actor was accused by the two women of groping them during the film shoot in 2021. Depardieu had denied the allegations.
Depardieu must pay a fine of €20,000 (£16,850), and will be placed on the sex offenders register.
Depardieu was not in court to hear the verdict and was represented by his lawyer Jeremie Assous, who told local media he plans to appeal the decision.
While awaiting the verdict, the actor has been in Portugal since April filming a feature directed by Fanny Ardant, a longtime friend of the actor who defended him in court at the trial. It marks the first credit for the actor since 2023 cooking drama Umami.
This is the first case to go to trial among other allegations made against Depardieu. French actress Charlotte Arnould was the first to file a criminal complaint against him in 2018, accusing him of rape. Prosecutors have requested another trial over that case, but no official court date has been set.
When asked whether or not Depardieu would be invited back to Cannes Film Festival, general delegate Thierry Fremaux said at a press conference on Monday ahead of the verdict: “I respect the legal system of my country, I will simply note the decision handed down by the court.”
COMMENTS