PARIS — French actor Gérard Depardieu went on trial Monday in Paris on charges of sexually assaulting two women on a movie set, in a case seen as a potential watershed for the #MeToo movement in France.
Depardieu, 76, is accused of having groped a 54-year-old set dresser and a 34-year-old assistant director during filming in 2021 of "Les Volets Verts" ("The Green Shutters").
The actor faces up to five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros ($81,000) if convicted.
Depardieu denies any wrongdoing.
To reporters massed outside the courtroom, he briefly said "I'm ok." Inside, he told the judges that he was prepared to answer the court's questions.
"We will be able to show in an impartial, objective and incontestable manner that all of the accusations are lies," his attorney, Jérémie Assous, told journalists.
"The truth will be obvious and the truth is on our side," he said.
Trial is a test of France's attitudes to sexual violence
Depardieu's long and storied career has turned the trial into a post- #MeToo test of the willingness of France and its movie industry to confront sexual violence and hold influential men accountable.
Depardieu has been a darling of French cinemagoers for decades and was Oscar-nominated in 1991 for his performance as swordsman and poet Cyrano de Bergerac.
But his alleged boorish behavior off-screen has also long made headlines. He has been accused publicly or in formal complaints of misconduct by more than 20 women, but so far only the sexual assault case has proceeded to court. Some others were dropped because of a lack of evidence or the statute of limitations.
Feminist and historian Florence Montreynaud described Depardieu's court appearance as "a historic moment" for women's rights, as she joined other campaigners who demonstrated outside the court. A dozen chanted "Sexist violence, complicit judicial system" as they danced to techno music.
"Times are changing. #MeToo has swept through. At last, mentalities are changing," Montreynaud said to French broadcaster BFMTV.
The trial also follows in the wake of the historic case last year involving Gisèle Pelicot, whose bravery put the spotlight on sexual violence in France. She demanded that the drugging-and-rape trial for 51 men tried for a horrific catalogue of abuse on her be held in open court, arguing that doing so would help make shame change sides.
France has often been ambivalent — even resistant — toward the #MeToo movement. While Hollywood saw powerful men fall swiftly and publicly, the French film industry was slower to respond. Some dismissed #MeToo as an American export incompatible with French values, citing concerns over free expression and what they viewed as an erosion of flirtation culture.
At the time of the alleged assaults, Depardieu was already under formal investigation for rape. 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.
Prosecution alleges actor groped plaintiffs
Prosecutors say Depardieu trapped the set dresser with his legs before groping her waist and breasts in front of witnesses. She says the actor also used obscene language and had to be pulled away by bodyguards.
The assistant director alleged that Depardieu groped her both on set and in the street.
The women sat side by side in court. The Associated Press doesn't name people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they consent to being identified. Neither has done so in this case.
The trial is expected to last at least two days, but could be extended beyond Tuesday, if the chief judge wants more time. The trial was initially scheduled for October, but then postponed because of Depardieu's health. A verdict is expected at a later date.
Depardieu grasped his lawyer's shoulder as he strode calmly into the courtroom. The actor has undergone a quadruple heart bypass and has diabetes, according to his lawyer. A court-appointed medical expert determined that he's fit to stand trial, but recommended that the hearings don't exceed six hours, with a 15-minute pause and snack every three hours.
Plaintiffs keen to be heard
Beyond giving his name, Depardieu didn't testify Monday. Instead, his lawyer took up much of the time, raising what he described as legal issues and seeking to cast doubt on witness testimony and the police investigation. The attorney alleged, without providing evidence, that police acted under instructions from magistrates who led the investigation to "make Depardieu fall."
Depardieu listened intently, sometimes nodding.
One of the plaintiffs burst into tears when her lawyer read a message she wrote about the alleged sexual assault. Sitting by her side, the other accuser put a hand on her shoulder in a gesture of empathy.
The plaintiffs' lawyers said they would lay out their evidence later.
One of the lawyers, Carine Durrieu Diebolt, said Depardieu had apologized to her client at the time. "So why apologize if you haven't done anything?"
It was unclear what the apology message was about.
Durrieu Diebolt had previously said that four additional women who say they have been sexually assaulted by Depardieu would testify.
In an open letter published in October 2023, Depardieu wrote: "Never, but never, have I abused a woman."
The actor had dropped out of sight in recent months, his film career seemingly on hold. But he still has friends in the industry. Actors Vincent Perez and Fanny Ardant were among those who took seats on his side of the courtroom.
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