Gerard Depardieu’s sexual assault trial will begin in Paris

Gerard Depardieu will go on trial in Paris on Monday, and the French actor will face two counts of sexual assault in the country’s most important #MeToo case.

Depardieu is accused of attacking women during the filming of the 2021 film Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters).

Prosecutors say the actor made explicit sexual comments and then aggressively “groped” two members of the film’s production team. If convicted, he could face five years in prison.

The 75-year-old denies the accusations and in an open letter published last year stated that he had never “molested a woman.” His lawyer asked for the hearing to be postponed early Monday, citing the actor’s health problems.

“Gerard Depardieu is very agitated and unfortunately the doctors have forbidden him from attending the hearing, so he will ask for it to be postponed to a later date so that he can participate,” Jeremie Assous told local media.

The trial marks a significant moment for France’s #MeToo movement, with Depardieu being the most recognizable figure in French cinema accused of sexual assault. The women – whose names were not mentioned – claim that Depardieu made sexual comments to them. They say he also “brutally grabbed” and “groped” them.

Depardieu’s lawyer accused the women of “false accusations”. He also claimed that one of the women was trying to “make money” by demanding 30,000 euros ($32,500; £25,000) in compensation, according to Le Monde.

Since the allegations were revealed, Depardieu has become a downright pariah. He has not appeared in any films since 2022, and next year he faces a second trial on charges of raping actress Charlotte Arnould twice in his home in Paris. He denies the allegations.

Depardieu has also been accused of sexual assault by more than a dozen other women.

Despite the mounting allegations, the star received words of support from parts of the French artistic community. In a letter published last year, a group of more than 50 actors, directors and producers said the accusations against Depardieu constituted an “attack on art itself.”

The letter, signed by actors Charlotte Rampling, Carole Bouquet, Pierre Richard and singers Carla Bruni and Jacques Dutronc, said they could not “stay silent in the face of the lynching he (Depardieu) suffered.”

French President Emmanuel Macron also sparked anger when he called the actor “the pride of France” last year. Macron added that Depardieu was the subject of a “manhunt”. Activists say the comments undermine efforts to protect women from violence.

Actress Léa Seydoux called Macron’s comments “crazy” and added that they “give a very bad image of France.”

Despite Macron’s shows of support, his then-culture minister Rima Abdul-Malak said she would consider withdrawing Depardieu’s Legion of Honor after a 2018 documentary filmed in North Korea showed footage of him making comments sexual information about women.