French movie icon Gérard Depardieu convicted of sexual assault on film set

WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced​ ​​​sexual violence or know someone affected by it.

French movie star Gérard Depardieu was convicted Tuesday of sexually assaulting two women on a set and received an 18-month suspended prison sentence in a case that was widely seen as a post-#MeToo test for the country's film industry.

Depardieu, 76, one of the most prominent figures in French cinema for decades, must also pay both accusers a total of 29,040 euros (around $45,270 Cdn) in fines, and the court ordered that his name be listed in the national sex offender database.

The actor was convicted of groping a 54-year-old woman responsible for decorating the set and a 34-year-old assistant during the filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) in 2021.

Depardieu, who has denied the accusations, did not attend the hearing in Paris. His lawyer said that his client would appeal the decision.

Judge Thierry Donard said Depardieu's explanation of events had been unconvincing.

One of the two plaintiffs, a set decorator, had told the court the actor had groped her all over her body as he trapped her between his legs and made explicit sexual comments.

"He touched everything, including my breasts," she told the court. "I was terrified, he was laughing." The presiding judge said two witnesses corroborated her account whilst Depardieu had been contradictory in his own accounts.

The set dresser told reporters that she was "very much satisfied with the verdict. 

"I feel justice was made," she said. 

"Today we hope to see the end of impunity for an artist in the world of cinema," her lawyer Carine Durrieu Diebolt said. "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'd like the film world to spare a thought for Gérard Depardieu's victims."   

A suspended sentence means that Depardieu does not have to go to prison unless he commits another offence. Suspended sentences are common in France for a wide range of crimes.

The court said it took into account Depardieu's age, his poor health and his criminal record, which included one prior unrelated conviction, although the court offered no details.

Depardieu's account of events 'not credible'

Depardieu rose to prominence in the 1970s and became one of France's most prolific and acclaimed actors, portraying a vast array of characters, from volatile outsiders to deeply introspective figures. He was nominated for an Oscar in 1991 for his performance as the swordsman and poet Cyrano de Bergerac.

In recent years, his behaviour toward women has come under renewed scrutiny. The actor has been accused publicly or in formal complaints of misconduct by more than 20 women, but so far only the sexual assault case has proceeded to court. 

During the four-day trial in March, Depardieu rejected the accusations, saying he's "not like that." He acknowledged using vulgar and sexual language on the film set and that he grabbed the set dresser's hips during an argument, but denied that his behaviour was sexual.

The court, composed of a panel of three judges, concluded that Depardieu's explanations in court were "unpersuasive" and "not credible" and stressed both accusers' "constant, reiterated and substantiated declarations."   

The set decorator testified that in addition to groping her, 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's calm and co-operative attitude during the trial bore no resemblance to his behaviour at work.

The other plaintiff, an assistant, said Depardieu groped her buttocks and breasts during three separate incidents on the film set.

The Associated Press does not identify by name people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they consent to be named. Neither woman has done so in this case, although one has agreed to be pictured.

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.

Actor Juliette Binoche, who presides over the jury for the 78th Cannes Film Festival, said Tuesday that Depardieu is "apparently no longer sacred," adding "it makes us reflect on the power some people have."