Photo: AP
Today, on 13 May, a Paris court will announce a verdict in the case of legendary French actor Gerard Depardieu, who is accused of sexually harassing two women on set in 2021.
This was reported by Reuters with reference to judicial sources.
The 76-year-old actor has repeatedly denied his guilt. At the same time, the prosecutor’s office is demanding an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of 20,000 euros.
According to one of the victims, production designer Amelie K., Depardieu physically and verbally harassed her while she was working:
“He touched me everywhere, even my chest. I was paralysed with fear, and he just laughed.”
The second woman said that the actor had harassed her not only on set but also on the street.
The incidents occurred while he was working on Les Volets Verts in 2021 – at that time, Depardieu was already under investigation for a separate rape charge in 2018. The prosecutor’s office insists that this case should also be tried in court.
The actor stated in court that “touching the buttocks is not sexual aggression” and that women, in his opinion, “are shocked too easily”.
The Depardieu scandal exposed a deep cultural fissure in French society around the topic of sexual abuse. Some well-known women of the older generation defended the actor. In particular, 90-year-old Brigitte Bardot said:
“Those who touch a girl are immediately thrown into the sewers.”
Despite such statements, experts believe that public sentiment in France is gradually changing, and the Depardieu case could be a turning point for #MeToo in the country.
