French actor, Gérard Depardieu, has requested a postponement of his s*xual assault trial for unspecified health reasons.
Depardieu was scheduled to appear in court in Paris today to face s*xual assault charges but asked for a delay due to health challenges, according to his lawyer.
Jeremie Assous told Franceinfo this morning, “Depardieu is extremely affected, and unfortunately, his doctors have forbidden him from being present at the hearing, which is why he will request a postponement to a later date so he can attend.”
The 75-year-old actor was expected to stand trial for allegedly assaulting two women on a film set in 2021. Depardieu, who has denied any wrongdoing, is accused of using “violence, coercion, surprise, or threat” during the incidents, which prosecutors claim occurred on the set of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters).
Prosecutors allege that in both cases, the victims reported that Depardieu trapped them between his legs and groped their buttocks, genitals, chest, and breasts over their clothing.
This trial takes place as France continues to confront issues of s*xual violence, especially in the wake of the MeToo movement, which has struggled to gain traction in the film industry. One alleged victim informed investigators that she had first heard inappropriate remarks from Depardieu before experiencing an assault.
She recounted that as she walked past him, he “grabbed her, pulled her toward him, blocked her with his legs, and groped her waist, hips, and chest while making obscene remarks.”
Three witnesses confirmed the incident, noting that the woman appeared “shocked” as she tried to escape his grip, leading to a psychiatrist granting her a seven-day leave.
After the incident, arrangements were made for Depardieu to apologize, but in a television interview aired on Saturday, the woman stated that the actor was furious and blamed her for causing trouble. Prosecutors noted that witnesses confirmed his comments did not constitute a genuine apology.
In an interview with the French online news site Mediapart, the production designer—who spoke on camera but only provided her first name—said the alleged assault had negatively impacted her personal and professional life for over a year and a half. She reported difficulty sleeping, anxiety attacks, and weight loss.
The woman indicated that it took her some time to file a complaint, but she decided to do so after hearing on television that there had never been an incident during the shoot.
A month before her alleged assault, another woman working on the same film set also reported inappropriate behavior from Depardieu. A director’s assistant stated that he had touched her buttocks multiple times and had been insulting when she expressed her disapproval. She, too, received a six-day leave from a psychiatrist.
Regarding the allegations against his client, Jeremie Assous stated that “the witnesses and evidence (Depardieu) will produce will demonstrate that he is the target of false accusations.”
