Gérard Depardieu, one of France’s most iconic and controversial actors, has been convicted of sexually assaulting two women during the filming of Les Volets Verts in 2021. A Paris court on Tuesday handed down an 18 month suspended prison sentence and ordered that the 76 year old be placed on the national sex offender registry.
Depardieu, who has starred in over 200 films and TV series, did not attend the hearing. His lawyer, Jérémie Assous, announced plans to appeal the verdict.
The assaults took place on a Paris film set in September 2021. One of the victims, identified as Amélie, a 54 year old set dresser, told the court that Depardieu forcefully grabbed her buttocks, pubis, and chest after trapping her between his thighs. “What stands out for me is not his sexual desire but his savagery,” she testified. “He really terrified me, and that amused him.”
The second victim, a 34 year old assistant director whose name was withheld, described being repeatedly groped by Depardieu during the shoot, including one instance where he placed his hands on her breasts after cornering her against a door. “I said no. I was scared,” she told the court, adding that the actor constantly made crude sexual remarks on set.
Both women’s testimonies were graphic and harrowing, painting a picture of impunity and predatory behavior from one of France’s most celebrated actors. Outside the courthouse, Amélie said, “For me, this is a victory. Justice has been done.”
Carine Durrieu Diebolt, Amélie’s lawyer, called the verdict a “historic moment” for the French film industry. “No one can now say Gérard Depardieu is not a sexual predator,” she stated. “On the opening day of the Cannes film festival, I want the cinema world to think of his victims and speak their names.”
Despite mounting allegations over the years, Depardieu has continued to enjoy support from parts of the French artistic elite. Actor Brigitte Bardot previously defended him, dismissing accusations as targeting “talented people who grab a girl’s bottom.”
The verdict arrives at a critical moment for France’s cultural landscape. A recent parliamentary report described sexual abuse in the entertainment industry as “endemic,” highlighting how women and minors remain especially vulnerable. The ruling against Depardieu is widely seen as a pivotal shift, challenging the culture of silence that has long shielded powerful men in French cinema.
Depardieu faces further legal scrutiny. The Paris prosecutor’s office has called for a separate trial over rape and sexual assault allegations brought by actress Charlotte Arnould, with proceedings yet to be scheduled. Depardieu denies those accusations, claiming the encounter was consensual.
As France reckons with its own #MeToo moment, the fall of Gérard Depardieu marks a sobering chapter in a country where artistic legacy has long been allowed to eclipse accountability.
