French actor Gérard Depardieu found guilty of sexual assault, given 18-month suspended sentence

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6 months ago

French actor Gérard Depardieu found guilty of sexual assault, given 18-month suspended sentence

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French movie star Gérard Depardieu was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women on the set of a movie in which he starred, and was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence by a Paris court on Tuesday.

He was also fined a total of 29,040 euros (around $32,350), and the court requested that he be registered in the national sex offender database.

The 76-year-old actor was convicted of having groped a 54-year-old set dresser and a 34-year-old assistant during the filming of “Les Volets Verts” (“The Green Shutters”) in 2021. The case was widely seen as a key post-#MeToo test of how French society and its film industry address allegations of sexual misconduct involving prominent figures.

Some figures in the French cinema world have expressed their support for Depardieu. Actors Vincent Perez and Fanny Ardant were among those who took seats on his side of the courtroom.

French media reported last week that Depardieu was shooting a film directed by Ardant in the Azores archipelago, in Portugal.

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.

A bon vivant who overcame a speech impediment and a turbulent youth, 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.

In recent years, his behavior toward women has come under renewed scrutiny, including after a documentary showed him repeatedly making obscene remarks and gestures during a 2018 trip to North Korea.