At noon on March 24, local time in France, the highly-anticipated sexual assault case of actor Gérard Depardieu officially began hearing at the Paris Criminal Court. A large number of media reporters arrived early, and many female demonstrators also appeared holding protest signs, surrounding the court.
On March 27, 2025, local time, in Paris, France, at the Paris Criminal Court, actor Gerard Depardieu returned to the court after the third day of the trial. Visual China Photo
Two women accuse Depardieu of inappropriate behavior during filming
Depardieu, 76, is well known to audiences around the world for his roles in films such as Cyrano de Bergerac, The Last Metro, A City of Love, Rodin, and La Vie en Rose. Since 2018, he has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by more than 20 women, but most of them have been unable to take legal action due to the statute of limitations and lack of evidence, and very few have been able to successfully file a case. Among them, the relevant allegations against actress Hélène Darras were filed by the prosecution last year due to statute of limitations issues and then withdrawn; and the rape allegations against actress Charlotte Arnould, although filed, will not enter the litigation process until the second half of this year. In other words, the case that began to be heard this time is the first time that Depardieu has actually appeared in court since his disgrace.
Depardieu in Cyrano de Bergerac
The accusers this time are two female filmmakers who worked with Depardieu on the set of the film "Green Blinds" in 2021. The film, which was released in August 2022 and directed by Jean Beck, is based on the novel of the same name by the detective novelist Georges Simenon. However, it is not a story about solving a case, but the thoughts and insights of a once-popular star actor at the last moment of his life. The film failed to receive any good reviews after its release, and the box office data was also mediocre. However, in February 2024, it made headlines again because of the inappropriate behavior of the lead actor Depardieu during the filming process.
The first to come forward to accuse him was the film's set designer, 54-year-old Amelie (the court allowed her not to reveal her specific last name). According to her, during the filming of the film in the summer of 2021, one day when she was preparing the set on the scene, Depardieu made a gesture to her to come over, as if he wanted to say something, but when she approached, Depardieu, who was sitting, closed his legs, clamped her roughly, kneaded her waist, and said some obscene words. "Later, it was Depardieu's bodyguards who interrupted his assault.
Emily said that at least three people witnessed Depardieu's shameless behavior at the time, and they also advised her to file charges immediately, but she was hesitant for various concerns until she saw an investigative program on French TV in 2023 about the sexual assault of the big-name actor, and then she decided to call the police.
Another plaintiff is Sarah, 34, who worked as the third assistant director on the film (her real last name has not been made public). She accused Depardieu of touching her breasts and buttocks twice on the set of the film on August 31, 2021. The first time was when the two were briefly alone on the set. "He suddenly put his hands on my buttocks, and I was shocked and said nothing." The second time, she claimed that Depardieu suddenly put his hands on her breasts. "I said please don't do this, I'm scared."
In this regard, the prosecutor charged Depardieu with "sexual assault involving violence, coercion, fright or threats". Originally, the case was to go to trial on October 28 last year, but Depardieu's lawyer provided two medical certificates of his client's poor health, and the case was postponed to March this year. From March 24 to March 27, the case was heard for four consecutive days in the 10th Correctional Chamber of the Paris Criminal Court.
In court, Depardieu again denied all sexual assault allegations, emphasizing that he was "not that kind of person at all" and that he was now over 70 and had no interest in harassing women. In addition, he pointed out that he was accompanied by assistants and bodyguards on the set almost all the time and rarely spent time alone with the staff.
In response to the first plaintiff's statement, he admitted that he did have physical contact with the set designer at the time, but argued that they were discussing work and that he pulled her closer to "avoid talking too loudly." As for grabbing her buttocks, it was because he was about to slide off his seat and wanted to keep his balance. As for the dirty words mentioned by the plaintiff, Depardieu defended himself by saying, "What do you mean by obscene? Did you say 'genitals'? But I say this word so often, even to myself, that I don't think it's a big deal."
Depardieu also denied the second defendant's allegations. He stressed that he did not touch her buttocks. "I may have rubbed her buttocks with my back in the narrow corridor, but I did not touch it with my hands."
In this regard, the plaintiff's attorney pointed out in court that the testimony given by Depardieu during the police investigation was completely different from what he said in court now. At that time, he denied having any physical contact with the plaintiff, and now he gave the so-called "maintaining balance" statement, which shows that his statement is not credible at all.
Fanny Aldant defends herself in court, saying she has both a "monster and a saint" side
"Green Blinds" is co-starred by Depardieu and Fanny Ardant. The latter, who just celebrated her 76th birthday in March this year, has won two French film César Awards and starred in well-known works such as "Eight Beauties". She is a respected national treasure-level actress in the French film industry and the last partner of the famous "New Wave" director François Truffaut. Before "Green Blinds", Ardant had co-starred with Depardieu in seven feature films, including Truffaut's famous work "The Flower of the Other Side". In 2016, Ardant directed and wrote the feature film "Stalin's Sofa" himself, and the leading actor was also Depardieu.
Fanny Ardant (left) and Depardieu in "Green Blinds"
In court, Fanny Ardant once again defended her long-time friend. "I know we are here to seek the truth, but the truth is the most difficult thing to define," she said. "I am Gerard's friend. I have known him all my life and have never seen him do anything excessive. I am a woman myself, and I have experienced similar things. I have slapped people and said insulting words. But one thing I know is that you can say no to Gerard."
Depardieu in "Stalin's Sofa" directed by Fanny Ardant
The actress's implication is that Depardieu does have his moments of mischief, likes to swear, and doesn't care about social etiquette, but as long as you tell him no, he won't do anything against your will. In response, the plaintiff's lawyer questioned that the two women Depardieu targeted in this case were "disadvantaged" women, not big stars like Fanny Ardant, who were very dependent on their jobs financially, which made them afraid to easily defend their rights after being wronged. "Maybe you think he's a great actor, maybe you like his movies, but he's also a sex offender, and many people in the film industry have remained silent about his alleged sexual assault," the plaintiff's lawyer concluded.
Keeping silent is obviously not Fanny Ardant's style. When she defended her old friend, she especially emphasized Depardieu's acting genius. "Geniuses in every industry often have something rebellious and dangerous. They have both monster and saint sides." Regarding his "monster" side, Fanny Ardant also admitted that those behaviors may no longer conform to the current code of conduct, but she also expressed great regret that few people in the French film industry dare to publicly support Depardieu.
"I know that society has changed, and standards of behavior are no longer the same as they used to be. Many things that we could tolerate in the past are no longer tolerated. I know that many people dare not stand up to defend Gerard. They are afraid of losing their jobs, afraid of never being able to act again, or never being able to make movies as a director. However, fear and intimidation are not the right way to make citizens obey. If I don't stand up to protect my friend now, I will blame myself for my cowardice for the rest of my life."
The trial ended on March 27. The prosecution finally proposed a lower sentence than the maximum sentence for the related sexual assault charges (five years in prison plus a 75,000 euro fine). It only asked for an 18-month suspended prison sentence, a 20,000 euro fine and civil compensation. At the same time, Depardieu was required to receive psychological treatment, cancel his acting qualifications for two years, and register in the sex offender file. Because this case is not a serious crime, there is no need to use a jury trial. The three-judge panel is expected to make a verdict on May 13.
In recent months, France has tried a number of high-profile sexual assault cases, including the mass rape case of Gisele Pelicot, the case in which actress Adele Haenel accused director Christophe Ruggia of sexually assaulting minors, and the case in which surgeon Joël Le Scouamec raped and sexually abused nearly 300 underage patients.
The plaintiff's lawyer in the Depardieu case also mentioned the above cases in his final statement on March 27. "The common point of all these incidents is silence. Regarding Gerard Depardieu's behavior, in fact, everyone has known for decades that his inappropriate behavior towards the staff on the set is well known throughout the French film industry. For what is happening now, the entire film industry bears some kind of collective responsibility."
On the other hand, Depardieu's last words to the court before the end of the trial were: "For the past three years, I have been dragged into the quagmire of lies and slander, which have corroded the blood in my body and my willingness to communicate with people of different ages."
