Depardieu is on trial, and so is France. It's a cultural reckoning in an era of #MeToo

PARIS (AP) — With his hulking frame and volcanic charisma, Gérard Depardieu reigned over French cinema for half a century, a national icon as familiar as the baguette.

But this week, the actor who once inspired writer John Updike to lament that “I think that I shall never view a French film without Depardieu” sat slumped in a Paris courtroom.

He faces two counts of sexual assault. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros ($81,000).

But more than Depardieu is on trial.

For many in France, the case marks a cultural reckoning. Can a nation famed for its culture of seduction — and long criticized for shielding male artists — hold one of them accountable?

Depardieu, 76, is accused of groping two women — a set dresser and an assistant — during the 2021 filming of “Les Volets Verts,” or “The Green Shutters”. According to complaints and witness statements, he trapped one woman with his legs, grabbed her breasts and waist and shouted crude innuendo followed by a vulgar come-on.

He denies all allegations. “Never, but never, have I abused a woman,” he wrote in Le Figaro. “I have only ever been guilty of being too loving, too generous, or having a temperament that is too strong.”

This is the first time one of the more than 20 accusations against him has reached court.

Once a symbol of France’s creative power, Depardieu now represents the nation’s delayed reckoning with #MeToo. The courtroom has become the stage for a country confronting the myths it has told itself about art and powerful men.

Depardieu’s rise was the stuff of legend. Born in 1948 to a working-class family in Châteauroux, he was a stuttering teen with no formal education. He drifted into acting and exploded onto the French stage with “Les Valseuses,” or “Going Places”, a 1974 film so provocative it remains banned in some countries.

A blur of hits followed: “Jean de Florette,” “Cyrano de Bergerac,” “Green Card,” “The Last Metro,” “Danton.” He received a Golden Globe, an Oscar nomination and the adoration of millions. He was messy, magnetic and untouchable.

But the excess was real off-screen, too. He crashed his motorcycle while drunk, accepted a Russian passport from Vladimir Putin during a tax dispute and once urinated in a plane aisle. He boasted of his appetites.

France seemed to cheer them on.

In Hollywood, #MeToo toppled titans. In France, the movement was met with a wary eye. When #BalanceTonPorc, or “Expose Your Pig” emerged in 2017, it rattled the country’s self-image — particularly in the arts, where seduction and transgression had long been celebrated.

Some warned that #MeToo was killing romance. In 2018, screen legend Catherine Deneuve and 99 other prominent French women published an open letter in Le Monde, scolding the movement for going “too far.” They championed la liberté d’importuner — “the freedom to bother” — as a pillar of French life, defending the right of men to pursue women without fear of consequence.

To many, it sounded less like a defense of flirtation than a permission slip for harassment, cloaked in perfume and nostalgia.

Even President Emmanuel Macron echoed the sentiment. In December 2023 — shortly after a documentary aired footage of Depardieu making sexually suggestive comments about a young girl in North Korea — Macron defended the actor on national television, condemning the backlash as a “manhunt.”

“Gérard Depardieu makes France proud,” Macron said.

The remark sparked outrage over the instinct to protect cultural giants, no matter the cost. Weeks later, Macron expressed his “regret” about the comments. It's important “for women who are victims of abuse to speak out," he said.

France’s reluctance to confront sexual misconduct by its stars has long set it apart.

Roman Polanski, convicted of statutory rape in the U.S. and accused by several other women, continues to work and live freely in France. In 2020, his César Award win prompted walkouts but also a standing ovation.

In 2022, Johnny Depp was dropped from Disney's “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise after domestic abuse allegations by ex-wife Amber Heard. He was largely vindicated.

In France, Depp was embraced. In 2023, he played Louis XV in “Jeanne du Barry,” the opening film at the Cannes Film Festival. Dior kept him on as the face of its Sauvage fragrance.

High-profile convictions in recent months suggest that the shield of fame may finally be cracking.

In February, director Christophe Ruggia was convicted of sexually abusing actress Adele Haenel when she was a child. Actor-director Nicolas Bedos was sentenced in 2024 for sexual assault.

And actor-director Judith Godrèche testified before a parliamentary commission, accusing two renowned directors of exploiting her as a teenager. “This is not about desire,” she told lawmakers. “It’s about power. About silence. About a system that protects itself.”

The commission has since summoned major actors — including Jean Dujardin of “The Artist” fame. Some reportedly asked to testify behind closed doors.

Anouk Grinberg, who appeared in “Les Volets Verts,” has publicly supported the two women accusing Depardieu. “What I saw on set was not seduction,” she said. “It was shameful.”

On Parisian sidewalks, opinions diverge. “We’re losing our culture of flirtation,” said Alain Morel, 62, sipping an espresso near the Arc de Triomphe. “Flirting isn’t a crime — it’s part of who we are.”

But across the street, 28-year-old student Yasmine Bensalem shook her head. “We called it charm,” she said. “But it was always about power.”

Claude Vincent, a plaintiff's lawyer, answers reporters as part of French actor Gerard Depardieu's trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Wednesday, March 26, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Claude Vincent, a plaintiff's lawyer, answers reporters as part of French actor Gerard Depardieu's trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Wednesday, March 26, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

French actor Gerard Depardieu returns with his lawyer Jeremie Assous after a break during his trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Wednesday, March 26, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

French actor Gerard Depardieu returns with his lawyer Jeremie Assous after a break during his trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Wednesday, March 26, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

French actor Gerard Depardieu leaves for a break during his trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Wednesday, March 26, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Actor Gerard Depardieu, center, leaves with his lawyer Jeremie Assous, right, to the courtroom for a break during his trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Tuesday, March 25, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Actor Gerard Depardieu returns ti the court with his lawyer Jeremie Assous during his trial for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021, Tuesday, March 25, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

VATICAN CITY (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance met briefly with Pope Francis on Sunday to exchange Easter greetings, after they got into a long-distance tangle over the Trump administration's migrant deportation plans.

Francis, who is recovering from a near-fatal bout of pneumonia, received Vance in one of the reception rooms of the Vatican hotel where he lives. The 88-year-old pope offered the Catholic vice president three big chocolate Easter eggs for Vance's three young children, who did not attend, as well as a Vatican tie and rosaries.

“I know you have not been feeling great but it's good to see you in better health,” Vance told the pope. “Thank you for seeing me.”

Vance’s motorcade entered Vatican City through a side gate while Easter Mass was being celebrated in St. Peter’s Square. Francis had delegated the celebration of the Mass to another cardinal.

The Vatican said they met for a few minutes at the Domus Santa Marta “to exchange Easter greetings.” Vance's office said that they met, but provided no further details. In all, Vance's motorcade was on Vatican territory for 17 minutes.

He later joined his family for Easter Mass at St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of the four pontifical basilicas in Rome. The Vances visited the tomb of the apostle St. Paul that is said to be located there.

Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, and the pope have tangled sharply over migration and the Trump administration’s plans to deport migrants en masse. Francis has made caring for migrants a hallmark of his papacy.

Just days before he was hospitalized in February, Francis blasted the deportation plans, warning that they would deprive migrants of their inherent dignity. In a letter to U.S. bishops, Francis also appeared to respond to Vance directly for having claimed that Catholic doctrine justified such policies.

Vance has acknowledged Francis’ criticism but has said he will continue to defend his views. During a Feb. 28 appearance at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Vance didn’t address the issue specifically but called himself a “baby Catholic” and acknowledged there are “things about the faith that I don’t know.”

Vance met Saturday with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

Vance’s office said he and Parolin “discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump’s commitment to restoring world peace.”

The Vatican, for its part, said there was an “exchange of opinions” including over migrants and refugees and current conflicts.

The Holy See has responded cautiously to the Trump administration while seeking to continue productive relations in keeping with its tradition of diplomatic neutrality. It has expressed alarm over the administration’s crackdown on migrants and cuts in international aid while insisting on peaceful resolutions to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

U.S. Vice President JD Vanc and his family arrives at Basilica Papale di San Paolo Fuori le Mura (Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls) to attend Easter mass, in Rome, Italy, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Vice President JD Vanc and his family arrives at Basilica Papale di San Paolo Fuori le Mura (Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls) to attend Easter mass, in Rome, Italy, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, centre, his wife Usha and their children arrive at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside The Walls in Rome, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, centre, his wife Usha and their children arrive at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside The Walls in Rome, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis appears on the central lodge of St. Peter's Basilica to bestow the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and the world) blessing at the end of the Easter mass presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis receives U.S. Vice President JD Vance before bestowing the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and to the world) blessing at the end of the Easter mass presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sunday, April 20, 2025. At center the head of the papal houshold Bishop Leonardo Sapienza. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)

Pope Francis receives U.S. Vice President JD Vance, left, before bestowing the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and to the world) blessing at the end of the Easter mass presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sunday, April 20, 2025. At center the head of the papal houshold Bishop Leonardo Sapienza. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)

From left, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin meets with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, his daughter Mirabel, his wife Usha, and their sons Ewan and Vivek at the Vatican, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)

The motorcade of U.S. Vice President JD Vance is seen en route to Vatican, in Rome, Italy, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston/Pool Photo via AP)