French actor Gérard Depardieu, 75, will face trial in October 2024 after being taken into police custody on Monday (April 29) and questioned about allegations of sexual violence. This is reported by the daily newspaper “Le Parisien”, citing a statement from the Paris public prosecutor’s office. The actor was said to have been in police custody for several hours on Monday, but his lawyer later confirmed to reporters that Depardieu was no longer being held at the Paris police station.
Two women accuse the actor of touching them inappropriately while filming. The alleged incidents involve, on the one hand, an incident during the work on the television film “Le magicien et les siamois” from 2014. On the other hand, Depardieu is said to have been aggressive on the set of the novel adaptation “Les Volets Verts” in 2021.
In the case of the first shoot, an assistant director filed a lawsuit in January 2024 alleging sexual assault on a vulnerable person, according to media reports. Following the lawsuit, the woman also spoke to the local newspaper Le Courrier de l’Ouest and stated that Depardieu had his hands all over her body. Depardieu is accused of a similar incident during the filming of “Les Volets Verts”. He is said to have sexually assaulted a 53-year-old decorator there. She stated that the actor had “brutally grabbed her” and “kneaded her waist, stomach and breasts”. Only his bodyguards ensured that Depardieu let go of her.
Gérard Depardieu has been repeatedly accused of sexual assault on film sets for many years. Since then, the reputation of the acting legend has been discussed, especially in his home country. French President Emmanuel Macron (46) spoke of a “manhunt” for Depardieu in an interview with the French television station France 5 in December 2023. He is a “great admirer” of the actor who makes his country “proud”.
