French film star Gérard Depardieu has been convicted of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021 and handed an 18-month suspended prison sentence. The 76-year-old actor, who denied the allegations, was not present for the verdict as he was filming in the Azores. His lawyer announced plans to appeal the decision.
The Paris court found the testimonies of the two victims—a set decorator and an assistant director—credible, while Depardieu’s accounts were deemed inconsistent. The actor was also ordered to pay each woman €1,000 in compensation for "secondary victimization," a legal provision recognizing the additional trauma caused by the trial itself. Additionally, he was placed on France’s sex offenders’ register.
The case marks the first criminal conviction against Depardieu, one of France’s most prominent actors, amid broader scrutiny of sexual misconduct in the film industry. More than 20 women have accused him of assault or inappropriate behavior, though only this case has proceeded to trial.
The assaults occurred during the filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters), where Depardieu allegedly groped the women and made lewd remarks. The set decorator, identified only as Amélie, testified that he pinned her down and bragged about his sexual prowess. The assistant director, who remained anonymous, said he touched her inappropriately on multiple occasions.
Lead prosecutor Laurent Guy had sought the suspended sentence, citing Depardieu’s "total lack of remorse." The judge emphasized that the verdict was based solely on evidence, stating: "You are not here to pass judgment on French cinema. You are here to judge Gérard Depardieu, just as you would any other citizen."
Carine Durrieu-Diebolt, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, hailed the ruling as a victory for all victims of sexual violence in cinema. "Today, we hope to see the end of impunity for an artist in the world of cinema," she said, noting the timing of the verdict just before the Cannes Film Festival.
Depardieu’s defense team, however, dismissed the accusations as lies and criticized the plaintiffs’ lawyers as "more militants than lawyers." His attorney, Jérémie Assous, claimed the trial was driven by "rabid feminism."
The case has deepened divisions in France’s film industry. While some, like actress Fanny Ardant, defended Depardieu as a "genius" who defies norms, others condemned the culture of impunity. Screen legend Brigitte Bardot, 90, publicly sided with Depardieu, lamenting that "talented people who touch the buttocks of a girl are consigned to the deepest dungeon."
Meanwhile, Depardieu faces another potential trial over a separate rape allegation by actor Charlotte Arnould. The verdict in this case is seen as a pivotal moment in France’s #MeToo movement, testing whether powerful figures can be held accountable for sexual misconduct.