French actor Gérard Depardieu stands trial in Paris for alleged sexual assaults on film set

PARIS (AP) — 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.

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.

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.

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.

AP journalists Tom Nouvian and Thomas Adamson contributed to this report.

Actor Gerard Depardieu arrives to face trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Actor Gerard Depardieu arrives with his lawyer Jeremie Assous, right, to face trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Actor Gerard Depardieu, center, who is facing trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, arrives with his lawyer Jeremie Assous, right, Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Actor Gerard Depardieu arrives with his lawyer Jeremie Assous, right, to face trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Actor Gerard Depardieu, center, who is facing trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, arrives Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Actor Gerard Depardieu, center, who is facing trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, arrives with his lawyer Jeremie Assous, right, Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Actor Gerard Depardieu, left, arrives with his lawyer Jeremie Assous to face trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Actor Gerard Depardieu arrives to face trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Actor Anouk Grinberg, left, enters the courtroom as actor Gerard Depardieu faces trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Actor Charlotte Arnould, center, arrives at the courtroom, while Depardieu, who is facing trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, arrives Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Actor Anouk Grinberg answers reporters outside the courtroom before actor Gerard Depardieu faces trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Women demonstrate outside the palace of justice where actor Gerard Depardieu faces trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

A woman holds a poster reading "Rapists, we see you" outside the palace of justice where actor Gerard Depardieu faces trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Actor Gerard Depardieu, center, who is facing trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, arrives with his lawyer Jeremie Assous, right, Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Actor Gerard Depardieu, center, who is facing trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, arrives Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Actor Gerard Depardieu arrives to face trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Monday, March 24, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

FILE - Actor Gerard Depardieu attends the premiere of the movie "Tour de France" in Paris, France, Monday, Nov. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

FILE - Actor Gerard Depardieu addresses the media during the press conference for the film 'Saint Amour' at the 2016 Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Axel Schmidt, File)

The only Black, all-female unit to serve in Europe during World War II, commonly known as the Six Triple Eight, will be presented Tuesday with the Congressional Gold Medal, following a long-running campaign to recognize its efforts.

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was credited with solving a growing mail crisis during its stint in England and, upon its return, serving as a role model to generations of Black women who joined the military.

The unit cleared out a backlog of about 17 million pieces of mail in three months, twice as fast as projected. It would go on to serve in France before returning home. And like many Black units during World War II, its exploits never got the attention afforded its white counterparts — until now.

At a ceremony scheduled to be held in Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor Center, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and others will present the medal to the family of the unit commander, Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley.

Kim Guise, senior curator and director of curatorial affairs at the National WWII Museum, said there are only two women living from the 855 who served in the unit.

“That really shows how long this recognition took,” Guise said. “It is really important to recognize the accomplishments of these women and what they went through to serve their country in war time.”

Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore, who co-sponsored legislation to award the medal to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, called it a long overdue honor for the women in the unit.

“These heroes deserve their dues, and I am so glad their story is being told,” Moore, a Democrat, told The Associated Press on Monday. “I am especially honored to ensure my constituent Ms. Anna Mae Robertson and the many others who served with her are recognized for their selfless service.”

In 2022, Congress voted 422-0 to bestow its highest honor on the 6888th.

"It’s overwhelming,” retired Maj. Fannie Griffin McClendon, who lives in Arizona, told the AP after the vote. “It’s something I never even thought about it.”

McClendon joined the Air Force after the military was integrated and retired in 1971. She was the first female to command an all-male squadron with the Strategic Air Command.

The 6888th was sent overseas in 1945, when there was growing pressure from African-American organizations to include Black women in what was called the Women’s Army Corps, and allow them to join their white counterparts overseas.

“They kept hollering about wanting us to go overseas so I guess they found something for us to do overseas: take care of the mail,” McClendon said. “And there was an awful lot of mail. ... They expected we were gonna be there about two or three months trying to get it straightened out. Well, I think in about a month, in a month and a half, we had it all straightened out and going in the right direction.”

The 6888th toiled around the clock, processing about 65,000 pieces of mail in each of the three shifts. It created a system using locator cards with a service member’s name and unit number to ensure mail was delivered.

Over the years, the unit’s story started to gain wider recognition. A monument was erected in 2018 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to honor it, and the 6888th was given the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 2019. A documentary, “The Six Triple Eight,” was made about the unit's exploits. In 2024, Tyler Perry directed a movie for Netflix about the unit, starring Kerry Washington.

Associated Press writer Michael Casey contributed to this report.

FILE - World War II veteran Maj. Fannie Griffin McClendon, a member of the World War II 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, poses for a photo at her home on June 10, 2021, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

FILE - In this image provided by the National Archives, members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-female, all-Black unit formed during World War II, are shown in an undated Department of Defense photo. (National Archives via AP, File)